Chapter 1276: Manifestation Of Earth Virtue (I)

Dong'a King Sea.

Darkness churned within the earth vein, broken only by faint flickers of fiery light. A massive pill furnace, the height of a man, stood atop the vein's nexus, its intricate surface carved with waves and fierce beasts. Supported by three legs, it appeared ancient and austere.

Spiritual flames roared violently as a ring of bright raging fire surrounded the black furnace, while bright white flames leapt beneath it.

𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Li Ximing had been refining this pill for nearly two years. Though he believed his theory was sound, this was his first time forming a pill through Heaven's Will alone, and the process had been filled with dangers. Fortunately, his foundation was extremely solid, and he overcame each trial as they arose.

The Profound Fire of the Three Phases' Guard has been unexpectedly powerful and helpful. Heaven's Will Single-Intent Method is similarly forceful. Without both, this pill would have been extremely difficult to create.

Everything is going well, except for one thing... the furnace cannot withstand this.

The Furnace in the River before him was an ancestral heirloom obtained during the market catastrophe. It was only a Qi Cultivation Realm artifact, though clearly ancient and forged from exceptionally durable materials, which allowed it to be of use until now.

Yet no matter how sturdy it was, it could not withstand a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator's divine ability combined with True Fire. Such power could melt a furnace into liquid. It was only through his divine ability's protection that it had maintained its shape so far.

Once this batch is completed, the pill furnace will no longer be usable.

The pill was approaching its final nurturing phase, and he could finally relax. Li Ximing formed a seal and activated the divine ability shrouding the furnace. Standing up, he pressed two fingers to his lips and exhaled a speck of purple light.

The Bright Yang flame, empowered by his divine ability and brimming with spiritual qi, drilled beneath the furnace and entered the Profound Fire of the Three Phases' Guard.

Li Ximing enunciated clearly, "True Fire of the Three Phases, nurture the treasured pill. With focus and precision, await its radiance."

He withdrew completely, leaving not even a trace of spiritual sense behind. Only his divine ability remained to guard the furnace, while the spiritual flames obediently carried out the warming process.

The Profound Fire of the Three Phases' Guard was, after all, a pill refining flame praised by Daoist Master Yuandao and Tantai Lingtong. It had greatly aided the alchemical process. Its flame possessed a strong spiritual nature without excessive destructiveness, making it ideal for nourishing the pill.

"

Phew.

"

Relief washed through him. Nearly two full years of intense focus, blending spirit items, and applying pill techniques he had never used before had left even a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator like Li Ximing slightly weary. He could not help letting out a deep exhale.

He took out several spirit nourishing pills, consumed them, and nurtured his divine ability. After thirty-six days, the light between his brows flickered faintly, and he suddenly sensed something. His eyes opened.

Tinglan of Purple Smoke Gate has come looking for me.

He had left Houfu a jade pendant containing a wisp of divine ability before coming to seclude himself in Dong'a King Sea, arranging to meet at the border of the two seas. The response of the heavenly light told him that someone had crushed it.

Items such as these spirit jades had to be nurtured frequently to maintain distant sensing in the Foundation Establishment Realm, and they usually failed after a few years. Now that he had achieved divine ability, a mere touch was enough for them to respond for over ten years. It was far more convenient.

He laid a formation to cover the area and added divine ability as a warning ward, then tore open the great void. Once he arrived, he first observed from within the great void. Indeed, a purple cloud carriage with fluttering golden tassels hovered at the border of the two seas. It was unmistakably a Daoist Master from Purple Smoke Gate.

He did not approach rashly. After confirming there was no ambush awaiting him, he transformed into heavenly light and descended to appear before the carriage.

A pure and charming young woman stood before the carriage. When touched by heavenly light, her form revealed her to be a rabbit-type demonic creature. She bowed repeatedly to Li Ximing, but before he could speak, the carriage curtain lifted with a swish.

Tinglan, still dressed in her autumn-yellow satin robe, spoke with slight embarrassment, "Fellow Daoist Zhaojing!"

Li Ximing had barely escaped death at Changxiao's hands and had suffered considerable losses because of it. Although the incident had only loosely originated from the arrangements of Purple Smoke Gate, Tinglan still felt embarrassed. She bowed slightly and said, "It has been many years. The Profound Peak Gate matter has come to an end, and I am relieved that you are safe. Otherwise... I truly would not have forgiven myself."

Li Ximing did not intend to blame her. The fault lay in his own carelessness, and Purple Smoke Gate had not foreseen any of it. Moreover, now that he was learning how domineering the Supreme Dao lineage was, he had no right to fault Purple Smoke Gate.

So he replied, "This matter... Changxiao struck without warning. The immortal gate cannot be blamed."

He did not wish to linger openly, especially with his pill still unfinished within the earth vein, so he continued, "The treasured pill within the furnace is not yet finished. I must ask Fellow Daoist Tinglan to rest at my humble abode for now."

Tinglan nodded at once. The purple cloud carriage headed into the sea, descending to the rolling white sand seabed. Tinglan stored the carriage away and instructed, "Wait for me here."

The spirit beast acknowledged. Li Ximing invoked Mountain-Charging Sea-Pacing Tiger, enveloping them in earthen yellow radiance, and carried Tinglan deep into the earth vein.

Tinglan glanced around and said, "The Profound Light Peak Moving Great Dao certainly has its merits. Earth traversal is no trivial matter, yet this Mountain-Charging Sea-Pacing Tiger moves through the earth vein like an Earth Virtue cultivator. Your Dao lineage is impressive."

It was Li Ximing's first time hearing the full name of the Profound Peak Gate's Dao lineage. He asked, "Tongxuan Dao lineage... no wonder it is close to Xuanmiao Temple."

Tinglan laughed softly. "It cannot truly be called the Tongxuan Dao lineage. Lineages of that tier all have documented beginnings and variations. Douxuan is looser, but Tongxuan is extremely strict. Fellow Daoist Sumian at least has an ancestral portrait. The Profound Peak Gate, however, has none."

As Li Ximing continued downward, he thought of the shameful Essence Stone Devil Fetus that Changxi had given Sumian, but made no comment.

Tinglan sighed, "One of our Purple Smoke Gate islands in the Scarlet Pristine Sea encountered trouble. We investigated for quite some time, and it is still a major headache."

"

Hm?

"

Li Ximing made a questioning sound, and Tinglan responded, her expression doubtful, "We first believed it was due to earth vein shifts or an issue with the seabed fire vein. But after circling many times with a fellow Daoist, we found traces of an Earth Virtue divine ability instead. So we invited Zhugong to examine it, and she suspected a cultivator may have broken through there."

Li Ximing frowned as he replied, "Earth Virtue cultivators have indeed become more and more numerous in recent years..."

Most devil cultivators technically counted as Earth Virtue cultivators, but people like Li Ximing never treated devil cultivators as true figures. When they mentioned Earth Virtue cultivators, they meant Immortal Dao Daoist Masters.