Chapter 402: Soul Searching (I)
Chapter 402: Soul Searching (I)
Listening to Xiao Guiluan's explanation, Li Yuanjiao felt a chill in his heart, his mind racing with countless thoughts.
Where is Buzi now? Has he heard anything about our family?! Xiao Guitu had just been hit by his divine ability, and Guiluan immediately went to see him… Wouldn't Buzi misunderstand this?
Should I replace the immortal mirror with Qingche Sword?
Li Yuanjiao believed that if he quietly placed the bronze immortal mirror in the woods or a river, even a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator would not find it. No one would suspect a thing if he replaced it with the Qingche Sword on the stone platform.
He pondered, his legs stiffening as another possibility crossed his mind.
The speed of a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator far exceeds that of a Qi Cultivator… If Buzi has already reached Moongaze Lake, he could be watching from the Great Void right now!
If Buzi was indeed at Moongaze Lake and used the Great Void to bypass the Sun Rite Profound Light Formation, any action he took now would be under Buzi's watchful eye, and attempting to retrieve the mirror would be suicidal.
But I can't just sit by and wait to be killed! A Purple Mansion Realm cultivator wouldn't waste time idly watching from the Great Void! With a single sweep of his divine ability, he could learn everything… Buzi shouldn't be at the lake!
Li Yuanjiao knew that a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator could travel in an instant, much faster than Xiao Guiluan's return. His thoughts spun rapidly, but his actions did not stop. He suddenly called out in a deep voice, "Guiluan, return to Mount Wutu at once!"
With that, he headed to the backyard. Xiao Guiluan, understanding the urgency in his tone, left swiftly like the wind. Li Xuanxuan's face also changed drastically, wanting to speak but stopping himself.Li Yuanjiao stepped out, feeling a sudden warning in his mind. The Profound Pearl Talisman Seed in his Qihai acupoint trembled, sending chills through his body as though he was being watched by something sinister.
"Oh no!"
He stopped abruptly, only to see the space in front of him darken. Slowly, the image of a green-robed cultivator appeared, standing with his hands behind his back.
The green-robed cultivator had a small smile on his face. He looked to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, dressed in a flowing robe. His long hair fluttered in the wind as he stared at Li Yuanjiao quietly.
Daoist Master Buzi…
Li Yuanjiao felt a bitterness in his mouth as Buzi raised his head. The sleeve of his green robe moved as he held up a small, exquisite white jade bottle in his right hand.
"What is this?" Buzi asked casually, but his question made Li Yuanjiao break out in a cold sweat.
The jade bottle in Daoist Master Buzi's hand came from the Li Family's treasure vault, containing a talisman pill that the immortal mirror had condensed!
Buzi has been to our treasure vault…
Li Yuanjiao hurriedly bowed, feigning a terrified demeanor, and said in a trembling voice, "Junior Li Yuanjiao from the Li Family under the governance of Azure Pond greets Daoist Master Buzi!"
His voice was neither too loud nor soft, but it was enough for Li Xuanxuan, who was standing guard outside, to hear clearly. Li Xuanxuan was so terrified that he almost went to retrieve the mirror.
Just as he took a step, Li Xuanxuan realized that the spiritual sense of a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator could easily cover the entire Mount Lijing; going to the backyard now would be like doing so right in front of Buzi.
Outside, Li Xuanxuan was like an ant on a hot pan, while inside, Li Yuanjiao tried to buy time, quickly making a judgment in his mind.
Buzi broke through the Great Void and immediately went to our treasure vault, attracted by the talisman pill, and is directly asking about it…
Although a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator could easily bypass most formations via the Great Void and enter it, their spiritual sense could not penetrate the formations; they had to go in person to sense what was inside.
The Li Family had five mountains with over twenty formations, and with the small formations protecting the spirit fields, there were likely over a hundred. Buzi could not possibly check each one.
Even Mount Lijing had five separate formations, three for spirit fields, one for the ancestral hall, and one for the family vault.
He only went to the treasure vault at the mountaintop and has not been to the ancestral hall yet!
Countless thoughts flashed through his mind as Chi Buzi watched him.
"You recognize me?" Chi Buzi asked.
Li Yuanjiao bowed again and respectfully said, "I have seen portraits of the four Daoist Masters of the upper sect. Daoist Master Yuanwu and Daoist Master Yuan Xiu are both white-haired cultivators, only you and Daoist Master Yuan Su are young men in green robes. Daoist Master Yuan Su is stationed in the southern border all year round, so it must be you..."
"Not bad."
Chi Buzi smiled and looked at him. Among the remaining four Purple Mansion Realm cultivators of Azure Pond, Tang Yuanwu, Si Boxiu, and Ning Tiaoxiao were all of the same generation, serving as the left and right arms of Chi Wei, hence using Yuan as their Daoist title.
He was from a later generation, and by the time he reached the Purple Mansion Realm, the Azure Pond Sect no longer followed the custom of using Daoist titles. Hence, he was simply called Buzi. Seeing that Li Yuanjiao could name so many Purple Mansion Realm cultivators from Azure Pond, his smile broadened as he repeated, "What is this thing?"
Of course, he was referring to the talisman pill. Li Yuanjiao responded promptly and respectfully, "This item was obtained by our clan in a cave dwelling, along with the Supreme Yin Moonlight of that year. The clan could not identify this pill or discern its quality, and we feared possessing a valuable item would bring disaster, so we did not dare reveal it..."
Chi Buzi waved his hand to interrupt him, smiling brightly as he remarked, "This pill has excellent boundary-breaking effects and is quite rare… It seems to be made with an ancient method. I see that your clan's fortune is not shallow!"
Just as Li Yuanjiao was about to reply, he suddenly felt a wave of panic overwhelm him. The world before him turned gray and dark, shrouded in a misty gloom as if draped in a veil of darkness, making everything hazy.
Divine ability!
A cramping pain shot through his stomach, and his face felt damp. His consciousness splintered into fragments, with large sections of text and images drifting through his mind.
With the last vestiges of his awareness, he clamped his mouth shut, his lips trembling. The talisman seed in his Qihai acupoint emitted a slight coolness, keeping his consciousness intact but not fully awakening him to avoid revealing any abnormalities.
Outside, Li Xuanxuan was also affected by the divine ability. Fortunately, Buzi focused on Li Yuanjiao alone, so Li Xuanxuan only felt slightly dizzy and immediately recognized it as a divine ability.
Feeling his mind growing increasingly muddled, Li Xuanxuan, knowing his will was weak, slapped the Shenyang Mansion between his eyebrows with his palm before collapsing with a thud.
Chi Buzi paid no attention to Li Yuanjiao's reactions. He waited for Li Yuanjiao to kneel and become dazed, then gently placed a hand on Li Yuanjiao's Shenyang Mansion. Pressing the spot between his defiant brows, he performed a hand seal with his other hand.
"Yin Quarters Nine Hills Heart Questioning Spell!"
This technique was a pure soul-searching spell from the Daoist sects, far superior to the crude methods of devil cultivators. Once a forbidden spell hindering the Dao path, it had now become a useful immortal method.
Li Yuanjiao's act was flawless, but Chi Buzi had no interest in guessing the origin of the pill. Whether Li Yuanjiao told the truth or lied, he did not care to listen to the details. A soul-searching spell would reveal everything.
Chi Buzi focused intently, closing his eyes slightly. He has used this spell many times with unfailing success. His spiritual sense smoothly entered Li Yuanjiao's sea of consciousness, guiding all his memories to the surface.
The origin of this pill!
He manipulated the spell and colorful lights appeared in his hand. These then entered Li Yuanjiao's Shenyang Mansion, transforming into pale gray runes that danced in his sea of consciousness.