Chapter 289: Breakthrough, Two-star Spirit Reader
Southern Clear Palace covers hundreds of acres, with more than fifty large and small buildings including pavilions, platforms, towers, and halls, some areas of which Li Weiyi cannot enter.
Those areas are shrouded by formations, with ancient and hazy buildings inside, exuding a mysterious aura.
Li Weiyi once curiously used Heavenly Eye to carefully peer into the interior of one large formation.
Inside was a Black Buddhist Pagoda, over twenty stories high, with desolate courtyards, ruined walls, and not a blade of grass growing. Through the door of the first layer of the pagoda, he saw a withered bone sitting cross-legged inside, bound by chains.
That withered bone had clearly been dead for endless ages, yet it made Li Weiyi shudder with fear and feel dread.
With his current cultivation and knowledge, seeing ordinary withered bones would no longer stir any waves in him. The feeling of shuddering fear must be a genuine perception of danger.
After several days of cleaning and clearing, Li Weiyi finally understood completely.
The jade-quality hall with Xie Shan Roof Style on the opposite shore of the Blood Lake, and several areas shrouded by formations, were most likely legacies from the Ancient Bhakara Sect back then.
Some places were sacred and magnificent, with every brick and tile carved and cast from precious materials.
Some places were eerie and dangerous, imprisoned by formations.
The other buildings were probably built later by the Twin Rice Cult, but they also had several hundred years of history.
After finishing the cleaning, Li Weiyi came to the place where Yao Qingxuan was sitting in meditation and cultivating.
He stood outside the curtain, not daring to barge in rashly; inside was a Longevity Realm Giant who could stir up massive waves across a prefecture with a single stomp.
“Senior Yao, the task you assigned has been completed! From now on, leave the cleaning matters of Southern Clear Palace to this junior.”
Yao Qingxuan faced the stream, her back to the curtain, her tone ethereal and faint: “From observing your handling of the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival, I can tell you are someone who balances firmness and flexibility, absolutely tough when acting, fighting for what must be fought. Yet you can also let go, retreat when needed, and know to conceal strength. Now that you’ve come to the Divine Sect Headquarters, if you can set aside your inner rigidity and compromise more, you’ll have a chance at survival.”
“I’m afraid I can’t kneel.”
Li Weiyi stood straight, his expression solemn, and added: “That Hall Master of Spirit Valley Hall wants to subdue me?”
“If a person has value, and that value can be used by others, then you have a way to live. If it can’t be used, you’ll be eliminated.” Yao Qingxuan continued: “For now, Hall Master An is only interested in you. Whether to eliminate you or use you depends on how you grasp it yourself!”
Li Weiyi pondered for a moment: “Whether to use or not probably isn’t just about value, right? Trust or not is the most important. That Hall Master of Spirit Valley Hall can’t possibly trust me.”
“Trust has its ways of being used, and distrust has its ways too. Value isn’t just about cultivation talent. Think about it slowly yourself!” Yao Qingxuan said.
Li Weiyi said: “This is a matter of life and death; can Senior Yao explain a bit more clearly?”
Whoosh!
A gust of wind carrying a faint fragrance passed through the curtain, making Li Weiyi feel his body lighten, the world spin, and his vision blur.
The next moment.
With a thud, he rolled onto the ground by the Blood Lake shore.
He was now separated from Yao Qingxuan’s meditation spot by layers of buildings and courtyard gates.
Li Weiyi sat up, moved his arms, and felt no resentment in his heart.
Yao Qingxuan seemed aloof and cold as ice, but those words just now were quite sincere, genuinely pointing him the way.
“This mother of Yao Yin is ruthless to other martial cultivators, able to kill a bunch at once. But toward me, she seems quite lenient.”
“It seems doing more good deeds and accumulating virtue is right; that’s the root of changing fate and luck. If I hadn’t saved Yao Yin and helped her so much, my situation today would surely be very different.”
Li Weiyi recalled taking the Spirit Platform Blazing Star Stone Fragment from the lantern shade earlier.
Such a treasure, yet Yao Qingxuan didn’t pursue it.
If not for Yao Yin’s sake, how could she let it pass so easily?
With this thought…
“Very well, since I have the Spirit Platform Blazing Star Stone Fragment in hand, I’ll push my mind power cultivation realm further. More strength means more leverage.”
Li Weiyi took out the Spirit Platform Blazing Star Stone Fragment, closed his eyes in meditation, adjusted his state, then pressed it to his brow.
Whoosh!
Spatial ripples surged outward.
The Spirit Platform Blazing Star Stone Fragment appeared at the center of the Spirit Realm.
In the recent days, Li Weiyi hadn’t just been cleaning Southern Clear Palace; he’d also been refining Star Day Pills to strengthen his Mind Power Star.
The Mind Power Star in his Spirit Realm had grown to its limit, qualifying him to impact Two-Star Spirit Mind Master.
Whoosh!
Mind Power Spiritual Light scattered from Li Weiyi’s body, condensing into light shadows of two Divine Mulberry trees by the Blood Lake shore, rising up.
They bloomed with dazzling radiance, sparkling and crystalline, continuously absorbing all the light in Southern Clear Palace.
Except in the areas covered by the two Divine Mulberry trees, everywhere else turned to darkness, where one couldn’t see their own hand.
Even the light veils formed by the formations had their energy absorbed, quickly dimming.
Logically, entering the Blood Mud Space and breaking through under the real Fusang Divine Tree would have a much higher success rate. But living under the same roof as Yao Qingxuan, with her terrifying cultivation, Li Weiyi truly didn’t dare take the risk.
The Fusang Divine Tree light shadows were like living things, their light-absorbing power growing stronger with Li Weiyi’s breathing.
Gradually.
Darkness spread beyond Southern Clear Palace, absorbing light from an even broader area.
…
Four days later.
Yao Qingxuan and a woman in white hermit Buddhist robes stood in the green-tiled jade hall across the Blood Lake. The two women looked through the window at the two increasingly tall Fusang Divine Tree light shadows by the lake shore; even with their cultivation, ripples stirred in their hearts.
At this moment, the two mulberry trees had grown over ten zhang tall, leaning on each other, supporting a bright region of light rain.
Within the light rain area, the Flame Lotuses in the lake clearly grew better than those in the dark areas, their petals like lapis lazuli, brimming with life energy, as if grown several years longer.
Li Weiyi sat in meditation under the two Fusang Divine Tree light shadows. Though a mortal, he exuded a transcendent aura even Pure Immortal Body lacked, ethereal and mysterious, like an immortal spirit from the mortal world, containing a universe within.
Yao Qingxuan leaned by the window, her jade-like form and bones beautiful like an immortal maiden from a painting.
The White-Clad Hermit appeared as an ordinary mortal, with plain features, lacking Yao Qingxuan’s jade-quality skin and peerless beauty, but she had a serene and comfortable aura, harmonious with all things, bringing no pressure or majesty.
She was the Hall Master of Spirit Valley Hall, An Xianjing.
Also one of Coffin Mountain’s two Bodhisattvas, a Longevity Realm Giant who had lived three hundred sixty years, one of the top strong practitioners below the Transcendent.
An Xianjing’s slender right fingers toyed with red prayer beads, smiling faintly: “Two mulberries supporting each other, life energy surging, mind power around him gradually condensing into Golden Crow Flame. It seems his Spirit God light shadow is indeed the legendary Fusang Divine Tree. Truly extraordinary; his martial way is already stunning, and his mind power can also amaze. Walking the path of alchemy and artifact refining will surely lead to great accomplishment.”
Yao Qingxuan’s gaze was indifferent, her features like an ice sculpture without fluctuation: “Who knows where Li Songgu dug up this seedling; his luck is exceptionally good.”
An Xianjing withdrew her gaze and suddenly said: “Tang Wanzhou may have already arrived at the headquarters, or be nearby.”
“She hasn’t come out?” Yao Qingxuan said.
“No.”
The White-Clad Hermit shook her head lightly: “Now it seems, at the Starfire Altar, she only feigned defeat. Leading a large group of masters to charge in was just to draw us out; her real aim was to find the way into the headquarters. Truly a brilliant mind. Bold enough, with sufficiently high intellect.”
“If she dares charge into the headquarters, she’ll never return.” Yao Qingxuan said.
“Let Heavenly Principle Hall handle this! If Tang Wanzhou really sneaked in, it’s their failure to guard the shaft.”
The White-Clad Hermit looked toward the figure sitting under the two Fusang Divine Tree light shadows across the Blood Lake: “He’s broken through! You go to Heavenly Principle Hall. I’ll chat with him alone; this child’s extraordinariness is truly rare. Killing him directly would be a pity.”
“If Tang Wanzhou really comes to the headquarters, it’s negligence on my side. Heavenly Principle Hall and Ku Rong Hall will surely use it to seize power in the Southern Territory; this matter can be big or small. I’ll investigate personally.”
Yao Qingxuan turned into a wisp of White Mist and vanished by the window.
…
With the help of the Spirit Platform Blazing Star Stone Fragment, Li Weiyi condensed a second Mind Power Star.
The two Mind Power Stars at the Spirit Realm center orbited each other, forming a dual-star system and a swirling vortex of mind power light mist.
The size of the Mind Power Stars was no longer just green bean-sized; they’d grown several times larger.
Brighter too, like two Golden Cores.
Li Weiyi was thrilled; with his current mind power cultivation, activating the pale green fish eye of the Dao Ancestor Tai Chi Fish to form a Time Cocoon could last much longer, fully supporting extended martial cultivation.
The Seventh Sea was now within reach.
“The realm of Two-Star Spirit Mind Master should have combat power not inferior to an ordinary Dao Seed Realm Second Heaven martial cultivator, right?”
Li Weiyi thought, then shook his head: “I haven’t cultivated rune magic, formations, mind techniques, or other attack methods, nor do I tame insects. Relying only on mind power probably can’t yet match a Dao Seed Realm Second Heaven martial cultivator.”
A crisp, pleasant voice rang out from several zhang away: “Not at all! A powerful Mind Master is like a successor in the martial way; same realm combat power far surpasses the mediocre. Your mind power can condense into Golden Crow Flame… well, though it’s the thinnest, lowest grade Golden Crow Flame, its attack power is comparable to first-layer fire Dao of Magic techniques.”
“With just mind power, you can rank medium in Dao Seed Realm Second Heaven.”
Li Weiyi hadn’t expected a stranger to infiltrate Southern Clear Palace?
Moreover, approaching silently, her cultivation was clearly no small matter.
Crucially, this voice…
He looked at the White-Clad Hermit standing not far away, quickly stood, and said uncertainly: “It’s you… no, not you…”
Li Weiyi shook his head, then his gaze fell on the red prayer beads in the White-Clad Hermit’s hand, observing her tall figure.
Back then outside Jiu Li City, the White-Clad Hermit leading a large group of Rice Person Children had left a deep impression on Li Weiyi. Her captivating voice had etched itself in his heart, a unique charisma hard to forget.
The White-Clad Hermit now before him matched that one in attire, figure, and voice.
But her appearance was completely different.
An Xianjing placed her left hand over her chest and bowed: “Amitabha Buddha! Didn’t Benefactor say over a year ago that next time you’d treat me to noodles, and plenty of them?”
“It’s really you?”
Li Weiyi was astonished, looking her up and down, utterly shocked, and laughed: “So you’re from the Rice Cult too… no wonder… with your cultivation, Southern Clear Palace isn’t somewhere just anyone can enter.”
