Ning Wan sat quietly on the green throne, as if she was not interested in Yuan Xiu's words, this matter could not be ended by the old man saying a word that was not in his hands, [Xin You Huai Ze Yin] was a particularly precious spiritual treasure, it was a famous thing in ancient times, enough to make the Purple Mansion let go of its restraint.
She only glanced at the old man's hand on the throne and said softly:
"At that time, [Xin You Huai Ze Yin] fell into the hands of your seniors, it was very convenient to calculate others, and it also made enough benefits, no matter what, this thing is the spiritual treasure of Qingchi, the dignified sun Taoist system, even if the owner is temporarily away, it will not be taken away."
Ning Wan obviously didn't believe it, Yuan Xiu hunched his back and replied:
"Ordinary people don't dare, it only means that it is not ordinary people who take it, the elements are his, and I will not hide them."
His words made Ning Wan ponder slightly, and he really hesitated a little in his heart, and asked:
"Seniors refuse to say it, but it really reaches the point where it can't be said, why bother to get it today? If it's because you're out of the sky, why didn't you put it away early?"
Yuan Xiu stood on his seat like an old tree and said in a low voice:
"[Xin You Huai Ze Seal] is the seal of the feathered snake, the feathered snake is the ancestor of the water, this thing is more useful than you think, the reason why it is in Ning Qiaoxiao's hands is because the adult nodded, once he dies, the thing will naturally be lost."
"My lord, I didn't think about it at all, even if Li Jiangqun, the real person of Donghua, left the reincarnated treasure for Ning Yuxiao in [Xin You Huai Ze Yin], he would not use it even if he died, he was such a person, even if he gritted his teeth and swallowed blood to death, he would not nourish his enemies."
Ning Wan's expression gradually changed, and she listened to the old man in front of her say calmly:
"When Ning Yuxiao died, Zi Pei thought I was greedy and wanted to take this thing away from the Ning family, and insisted on handing it over to Ning Heyuan... She underestimated me, as long as this thing was in the hands of the Ning family, my eyes would look away for a moment, and it would be calculated immediately... I am the great real person of Qingchi, they don't know if there is an adult's instruction, but Ning is far different, this is a life-threatening charm."
"If he had known the face at that time, he might not have died."
Ning Wan wanted to speak, but Yuan Xiu continued:
"No wonder she is, how can she talk about this kind of thing to people outside the Taoist system? She is very protective of the elements in her heart, if I have to take it, she must have done it with me, I can only leave, before leaving, I saw Pu Yu calculating, he is a clever Penglai Taoist, and he may have been suspicious for a long time."
Ning Wan was silent, and the old man said:
"You are also the one I grew up watching, and I advise you for the sake of the relationship between the two families, [Xin You Huai Ze Yin] is not something you can touch, when I die, you will sit alone on this Huai Kui Pond, you will know how troublesome it is."
He laughed for a while and replied:
"By then, you will no longer be the master of the Ning family, you will be the master of the Qingchi! Whether you want to or not, it is no longer the Ning family of Qingchi, but the Qingchi of the Ning family."
Ning Wan's expression was complicated, she was such a sect cultivator, carrying the Qingsong Sun Taoist system, growing up and practicing in Qingchi, she had already been marked with the mark of Qingchi. At most, she followed Chi Buzi's example, abandoning her clan to go out in the name of travel, and she definitely did not have the power to break away from self-reliance like the aristocracy.
"Chi Bu Azusa is a crazy man who is indifferent by nature and has no father or mother..."
Her expression was slightly gloomy, but Yuan Xiu pondered and spoke, this old man's lifespan was coming to an end, and his usual old-fashioned and serious face had some fluctuations, and he said leisurely:
"'Han Qi' magical power 'into clear listening', the element did not hesitate to join forces with Tianwan in order to choose this good technique for you, Tianwan cultivated it decades ago, and now you have also refined this life magical power, and you still need to go to the north."
Seeing Ning Wan frowning, Yuan Xiu casually told the context of the matter and said with a smile:
"You don't know yet... The Li family is now the Zifu Immortal Clan, that is the Mochiyue Immortal Clan! If you pass through that boundary, you can also ask hello."
Ning Wan looked suspicious and asked:
"Purple Mansion Immortals... Isn't it Li Xizhi?"
Yuan Xiu's eyes were complicated, and he replied:
"It's Li Xizhi's younger brother, called Li Ximing, he was an unknown character, he never wanted to hide the weapon in his body, he worked hard, and became Mingyang supernatural powers, called Zhaojing, and he is also an alchemy master, I don't know how he looks."
"Looking at his appearance, Mingyang is not good at alchemy, and he is incomparable to Qing Tang, so I guess he is a first-class figure in Hengxing."
Ning Wan raised her eyebrows when she heard this, showing some joy, Li is geographically a good friend of Qingchi, not to mention that the relationship between Li and Ning has always been good, there is a predecessor fate in the front, and there is a marriage relatives in the back, how can Ning Wan not be happy? Ning Wan helped Li Chijing back then and let Li Xuanfeng go, this is all a good fate! She thought:
"Except for the crazy man Ning and Jing, the relationship between my Ning family and the Li family is not bad, and Li Yuanqin is the driving force behind the decline of the Chi family, which is really good."
After all, there are always many people with strange temperaments in the world, so she couldn't help but ask:
"What is the temperament of this real person Zhaojing?"
Yuan Xiu squinted and said:
"Pure and kind, soft and not resentful, Mingyang is self-reflective and not violent, close to the ancient cultivation of the Cui family, soft ears and lively hearts, benevolent and compassionate, and the will of the ancestors of the clan is the first."
Ning Wan couldn't help but nod, Yuan Xiu didn't have many days, there was no need to deceive her on top of this kind of thing, this real person's vision of people has always been very vicious, and it has great significance for reference, she replied:
"Such a purple mansion is really a blessing for Qingchi."
Yuan Xiu snorted and sneered:
"Without Chi Wei, Qingchi would have been more fortunate..."
"I don't have much longevity, I once caused Li Xuanfeng to swallow the pill and cut off the road to the Purple Mansion, Li Ximing doesn't believe me, you come to take charge of the Qingchi, much more suitable than me, now the ruler in the sect is the junior of Yuan Dao - the Jiuqiu Tantai clan, and the Qingchi after that is not lacking in the Purple Mansion, so you take the lead."
Ning Wan knew that she couldn't jump out of the circle of the green pond, but she could be the leader of a generation of the Sun Dao Tong Qingchi, and it was also an extremely beneficial identity for the Taoist system.
"Senior Yuan Dao? It is also the law of fate... Although Jiuqiu is a Taiyin Taoist system, it is in the same vein as Qingchi, and Yuan Dao's seniors studied in Qingchi back then, and now there is a Tantai clan in Qingchi, which is a win-win situation."
Speaking of Yuan Dao, Yuan Xiu had mixed emotions and lowered his head and said:
"Have you asked? Qingtang because... It's really reincarnated!"
Ning Wan nodded silently, Yuan Xiu's eyes gradually became colder, and he replied:
"Zhang Tianyuan also fell, he was a small character that no one wanted to take a second look at, so he bullied and bullied the clan cultivator, and the elements didn't remember him."
Ning Wan didn't want to get involved in their grievances, this generation of Purple Mansion was promoted neatly and uniformly because of the descendants of the Immortal Mansion, they were all familiar with each other, and the grievances and hatreds between them were also complicated, she only stood up from her position and took her leave:
"I'll go and supervise the affairs in the north."
Si Bo Xiu said:
"I broke through in Shitang."
She turned into frost and snow, condensed in front of the door of the cave, her white clothes fluttering, and she was about to leave, but she felt that the other party's words were a little wrong, listening to the rumbling and rumbling wind behind her, muffled:
"Wow!"
A rustling of trees echoed behind her, and Ning Wan paused, glancing sideways.
The moist scent of the forest filled her face, and the rustling of crickets grew louder. She saw the old man struggling to stand, his hands clutching the armrests of his throne tightly, his chest arched forward. It felt as if an endless, raging wind was rising behind him, sweeping him away.
Ning Wan felt no wind at all.
"Chirp..."
The old man's clothing was pulled forward by the wind, the loose clothing highlighting Si Boxiu's thin, shrunken frame. His knees slid inward, pressed together, the flesh growing thick, tightly fusing his legs together. His feet stretched excessively, scrambling along the ground.
He raised his head in surprise, a gurgling sound emanating from his throat. Ning Wan realized something was wrong.
A sleek, dark brown cricket was perched in Si Boxiu's pupils.
Two greenish-black tentacles stretched out of his eye sockets, swaying leisurely. Si Boxiu seemed oblivious to the insects in his vision. Concentrated, he pursed his lips tightly, as foreign limbs repeatedly extended from between his lips, then retracted as if in pain.
Ning Wan's pupils dilated slightly.
Si Boxiu's working eye caught Ning Wan's gaze, and a hint of hope shone in it. His left hand branched out, gripping the handrail tightly. His right hand suddenly loosened.
With this release, most of him floated into thin air, like an old tree in a storm, only a few stumps left tethered to the earth, drifting feebly. His other hand finally freed, and he waved toward Ning Wan.
Ning Wan still couldn't sense a breath of wind, whether through spiritual awareness or magical powers. She only felt the cave's atmosphere was calm, and the pool below was still. Si Boxiu, however, was exhausted. His free hand had returned to its normal state, wrinkled and aged.
He gestured to Ning Wan, curling all four fingers, leaving only his index finger, and making a sign of one. Then, the old man suddenly opened his mouth, and an endless stream of emerald green insects scattering, flapping their wings and soaring. Ning Wan could clearly see the grain of wood in his mouth, seemingly extremely stiff.
But he bared his snow-white teeth, like a tiger or leopard pouncing on its prey, and took the opportunity to bite off his index finger mercilessly and ruthlessly.
"Boom!"
The "Masamune" divine power was strong, and the impact was like thunder, sparks flying, and purple lightning gushing. The old man raised his head, his single normal hand still facing him, but the index finger had vanished.
Even Ning Wan, composed as she was, couldn't help but take two steps back. Si Boxiu smiled a meaningful smile. The old man still held his index finger in his mouth, his left hand slowly loosening.
"Huh?"
Ning Wan finally felt the wind, a rumble even louder than the previous thunder. Her clothes fluttered, and the old man, like a lithe bird, soared out of the cave with a whoosh.
Ning Wan didn't even react. She turned around blankly, watching Si Boxiu soar into the sky.
Si Boxiu soared higher and higher, not straight south, but like a nimble bird, circling and slanting southward.
The old man didn't use any magic or supernatural powers. He simply held his arms flat at his sides, carefully maintaining his balance, and gradually faded into a black dot on the horizon.
Emerald green rain fell from the sky.
Ning Wan stood amidst the swirling wind and rain, her dress fluttering. She extended a hand, palm up, to catch the emerald green raindrops. Fear still lingered in her pupils, but a growing look of doubt welled up on her face.
The rain quickly formed a small puddle in her palm. The woman stared blankly, muttering:
"'Lushui'... How could this be... This is Qingxi Rain? Why is it raining... Why is it Qingxi Rain?"
"This is 'Zhengmu'!"
But she had no time to wonder. Si Boxiu, the Grand Master of Purple Mansions of the Qingchi Sect, the master of the 'Zhengmu' art in this world, and the foremost talisman practitioner in Jiangnan—he was seeking enlightenment today!
She raised her hand and snapped her fingers, and the large bell beside her immediately began to shake.
"Ding, ding, ding..."
A rapid bell rang throughout the Qingchi Mountains, and hurried footsteps grew closer. Ning Wan remained standing on the mountaintop, watching the emerald rain drift down. Sect Master Dan Tai Jin practically crawled before her, kneeling before her. Without a moment's hesitation or doubt, he trembled in fear:
"Greetings, Immortal!"
Ning Wan glanced down, then instructed:
"You are the Sect Master. Whether it's to escort you on your journey or to broaden your horizons, you should come with me."
...
South China Sea, North Dan.
Wanli Stone Pond, the waves surged. As Ning Wan broke through the void and landed here, the sky was filled with turbulent winds and dark clouds.
She looked up and could see dark spots circling in the sky. Clan after cultivator stood in the air, gazing at the sky in awe and fear.
The waters of the entire sea surged, wave after wave swirling across the surface. The sky darkened, the winds of magic growing increasingly difficult to control. Cultivators continued to fall, and all colors dimmed. Only ray after ray of bright magical light pierced through the vast void, lingering in the air.
Ning Wan stood still as the fierce wind swept over her. Beside her, Dan Tai Jin's expression was horrified. He stared at the dark speck circling the horizon, his mind blank.
"Senior Yuan Xiu? About to attain enlightenment?"
"Why so soon!"
But he had no time to contemplate. The snow clouds beneath his feet were gradually rising, and thunder roared in the sky. Dan Tai Jin looked out from afar. Amidst the raging wind and dark clouds, a dazzling array of colorful lights rose. Dozens of Purple Mansions surrounded this sea of stone embankments, rising together in unison.
A cacophony of tiny, dense sounds began to rise in his ears. Dan Tai Jin noticed a blue rain falling from the sky, now reaching a very high altitude, almost reaching the zenith. Only then did he spot the old man circling in the air.
"This... Senior..."
The Yuan Xiu Dan Tai Jin had met was always meticulous, but now he was hunched over, arms outstretched, soaring through the air. His eyes were terrifyingly large, with several black crickets crawling in his pupils. His body was covered with branches and leaves, making him a terrifying sight.
"Senior Yuan Xiu!"
Dan Tai Jin watched in silence.
He, Dan Tai Jin, hadn't been sent here on short notice. Yuan Xiu and Yuan Dao had discussed this long ago. It had been arranged since Dan Tai Jin was six years old, and he had become Yuan Xiu's disciple. He respected and admired this old man even more than his father, who had been in seclusion for years.
But the old man who had lifted him from the crowd of Tantai children seemed to have vanished long ago.
Tantai Jin felt dizzy as he gazed at the magical figures filling the sky. Ning Wan suddenly raised her head and peered closer. Two figures, one in front of the other, were falling into the clouds, blurring into focus.
Ning Wan knew it was the Netherworld's forces arriving. Since Si Boxiu wasn't in good condition, no one had greeted them. But they paid no heed. From afar, they watched the circling Si Boxiu. One of them exclaimed, "How bold!"
The other sighed, his voice piercing.
"He's truly blessed by fate! Who dares to covet Lord Du's Lushui status like this? It's only at this moment that the others are in outer space, too busy to care, allowing him to borrow Lushui's power."
"If not, how could he be called courageous? He's just courageous, that's all."
Ning Wan listened quietly, then heard a gentle voice from the other side:
"He also... "I'm desperate. If not, how could I seek the Dao?"
"Hmm?"
Ning Wan was shocked. She was now a dignified Purple Mansion. How could she be unaware of someone approaching her? Her figure immediately transformed into ice and snow and dissipated. After a brief pause, she recondensed in her original position. She said with a slightly embarrassed look, "Greetings, Uncle-Master."
A man in a green robe with golden tassels turned his face to her, appearing elegant and refined. His pupils shone with a faint azure light, giving him a look of more evil than immortal. He smiled faintly and replied, "'Chou Gui Zang'."
Ning Wan had met this man in her youth. It was none other than the long-missing Chi Buzi!
Ning Wan nodded awkwardly. Chi Buzi was clearly trying to explain how he had suddenly appeared beside her. He was now a Great Immortal. Ning Wan could do nothing but wait respectfully by his side.
"The entire Chi family was wiped out, and Chi Zhiyun was tortured after his cave was dug out, but this great master could not move an inch. Only the great master Si broke through. There was no hint at first, but he had been waiting in the South China Sea for a long time. Chi Buzi didn't even bother to glance at the two underworld emissaries beside him, ignoring them completely. He said in a low voice, "Ning Wan... well, you've also achieved the Purple Mansion. It seems Senior Yuansu's spiritual resources are quite abundant, and they can even benefit you."
Ning Wan's hair stood on end upon hearing this, and she almost turned and ran away. But then Chi Buzi chuckled twice. This man was ruthless, indifferent, and cruel, but his laugh was pleasant. He said, "Don't be afraid. I don't covet these little things from Senior."
"Do you know what the 'Zhengmu' path is called?"
Ning Wan naturally didn't dare to leave. Unable to grasp his intentions, she hesitated and shook her head. Chi Buzi smiled and replied, "'Dui Jin' is the correct position of Shen and You Jin, and 'Zheng Mu' is the correct position of Jia and Yi Wood. The full name is 'Zheng Mao and Xun Mu'." "'Just hearing the name, one knows he's an upright person. If you seek this position, and want to use your skills as a substitute to fill the gap? That's nothing but wishful thinking."
"But unfortunately... the 'True Wood' path is rare. Gathering three, let alone five, is a difficult feat... The Sima family has held that path for so many years, yet no one has ever achieved enlightenment."
"So Senior Yuan Xiu can only ask for a leap year. While I don't know where he got the Lu Shui, he hopes to use it to harmonize the 'True Wood' path, seeking a certain Wood Virtue."
He then raised his eyebrows, a look of melancholy between them, and whispered:
"Without certainty, nor the ability to seek the Golden Method, I rely on a fleeting guess. All I can do is fill this path myself."
Ning Wan lowered her head silently, as the storm brought by the old man in the sky grew increasingly terrifying. She raised her head, her eyes bulging as she gazed skyward.
He moved her lips, finally spat out her index finger.
The index finger flew out of his mouth and instantly transformed into a baby, then a young boy, and then a dashing young man. His appearance was 70% similar to Si Boxiu, and it was most likely him in his youth. The two men summoned their magical powers and sat facing each other. The sky was filled with the confluence of wood and water, causing a constant tremor.
After a while, the blurry figure beside him finally left his sight. He shook his head in disappointment, pulled out something that looked like a net, and hid it in his hand, saying, "It's a shame he didn't know he had to wait until it was perfect before he could spit it out."
Another man, observing coldly, replied, "How could he know? He's not Lord Du, and how many people like him are there? Lord Du achieved his goal because he learned the methods of his predecessors. He doesn't have any Taoist inheritance, so he's only borrowing Lu Shui, which is impressive."
"Even if he knew, what could he do? He doesn't have the ability to spit it out after he's perfected it. If he did have that ability, he wouldn't be unable to even greet us."
He grabbed something out of thin air with one hand and took it with the other, throwing it out. Before Ning Wan noticed, Chi Buzi had already stepped back, gazing at the seeker in mid-air with a complicated expression.
Si Boxiu was rapidly fading, his hunched body shrunken into a dark ball like a woodlice. His finest robes were caught in the entanglement, shredded into fragments. Meanwhile, the young man on the other side grew taller and more imposing. A smug smile spread across his face. He stretched out his fair hand and snapped his fingers in mid-air:
"Snap!"
All the wind, wood, and water in the world surged toward him.
His attire became increasingly ornate and noble, while black veins appeared on his face. His height also grew, gradually becoming unlike his original appearance.
The man glanced around, then suddenly reached out and lifted up the barely breathing Si Boxiu on the other side, laughing:
"Since you're in a special position, why seek a leap year?"
The cricket in Si Boxiu's pupil finally broke free and crawled down his cheek. He moved his lips and teeth, whispering silently, as the last wisp of life finally flowed from his body into the other man's.
"Hahahahahahahaha!"
The man looked regal and noble, but a shrill, terrifying laugh erupted from his throat. The nearby Purple Palaces all stepped back, the blurry figures on either side vanished instantly, and the last ray of sunlight in the sky dissipated.
"Monster!"
"Boom!"
Thunder roared in the sky, a fierce wind swept across, and flashes of lightning illuminated the sky. In the bright light that pierced the darkness, a figure could be seen faintly standing to the east.
The man appeared to be a young man, tall and with an eerie appearance and reddish pupils. He wore a dark robe, a white-green silk sash tied around his waist, and his long black hair was tied back.
"Boom!"
When the next flash of lightning appeared, the man had vanished. All the magical lights above the turbulent ocean vanished simultaneously, leaving only endless darkness and the man laughing wildly in mid-air.