Chapter 1548: Metallic Essence Of Feathered Serpent (I) |
Chi Buzi's thoughts moved swiftly as his gaze flicked across the man's face. He finally brought his eyes down to the cup, and said in a low, distant tone, "No matter what, I must thank you and Senior Yuanshang for stepping in this time. Otherwise, there would have been no turning point."
Now that Penglai had been invited, Fuxuan understood that Chi Buzi no longer secretly doubted whether their own Master Yuanshang had perished. There was far more certainty in his words. Yet when faced with Chi Buzi's thanks, he gave no reply.
Although Fuxuan was not as fiercely righteous as the two juniors in his family, and still retained some old sentiment from his early acquaintance with Chi Buzi, there remained a knot in his heart from the past. The line he had drawn between right and wrong would not be crossed, so he merely closed his eyes and sipped his tea.
The azure-eyed man paid it no mind. He sat upright in his seat, quietly holding his cup.
Huff…
A gale swept through the courtyard, slipping through his sleeves and setting his blue robes rustling in the wind. The ink-black bead at Chi Buzi’s waist swayed gently as the wind lifted the strands at Fuxuan's temples. He abruptly opened his eyes and looked at the final seat at the table.
Light clouds drifted; dharma light condensed into purple hues; Yin Qi surged; and streams of silver-white flowed as various phenomena gathered upon the seat. It brightened without cause, then swiftly dissolved into nothingness. Sleeves hanging like feathers of birds sweeping across the table appeared in its place as a jade-like hand lifted a cup.
A handsome man with delicate features and phoenix eyes had manifested before them.
Chi Buzi kept his gaze lowered as he drank his tea, while the wind in the courtyard stilled at once. A smile lingered in his voice as he said, "Lord Wei."
Within this darkness that resembled the Underworld, the androgynous figure before them smiled faintly, his voice clear and bright. "Brother Buzi."
The pale yet shadowed [Veiled Yin] surged like waves, producing the crisp sound of beads colliding. Wei Xuanyin sat in the northern seat as all the light in the courtyard gathered upon him. It seemed a circular screen had unfolded behind him, within which were faint needle-thin leaves and soft, downy branches.
Buzz!
Only one spot remained like moonlight spilling upon the ground amid the fierce clash between [Veiled Yin] and [Pristine Water], slowly tracing a circle. At some moment, Fuxuan had drawn his sword into his arms, eyes closed in silence.
The divine abilities separated at the slightest contact, and all the phenomena vanished in an instant. The colors in the eyes of both Wei Xuanyin and Chi Buzi faded away. Even the teacups on the table had not stirred in the slightest, remaining quietly set before them.
"Fellow Daoist Chi, it has been a while. I trust you've been well!" Wei Xuanyin smiled faintly, a trace of emotion flickering in his gaze as he said, "I knew long ago you were among the very best, but I did not expect you to cross the Purple Mansion Threshold with such ease!"
Chi Buzi gazed quietly at him, his expression distant and detached as he said softly, "Lord Wei, I imagine you did not come all the way from the north, busy as you are, just to exchange pleasantries."
Wei Xuanyin's smile slowly faded, and he said softly, "You know very well why this matter was set in the Eastern Sea. For many years now, not a single portion of Metallic Essence belonging to the [Feathered Serpent] has been spared by my lord. Even the Underworld's judiciary does not interfere in this matter. Do you understand the consequences of this?"
Chi Buzi's expression remained calm. "I would not have come here otherwise."
Wei Xuanyin slipped a jade box from his sleeve and gently placed it upon the table, pressing it down with five fingers as white as jade.
Chi Buzi narrowed his eyes slightly as he asked, "How is Suiguan?"
Wei Xuanyin replied contentedly. "He returned to Pristine Cadence Heaven and was hidden away by the lord using the [Chougui Hidden Form]. Now severed from causality, he has fallen into obscurity… and counts for nothing to anyone."
A trace of mockery flickered in Chi Buzi's gaze as he smiled. "It is not the first time."
Wei Xuanyin smiled as well. He gently opened the jade box, revealing a pale golden seal within, two fingers wide and three fingers tall. A fierce and majestic Feathered Serpent was coiled upon it, its wings spread to shroud the sides of the seal.
The Feathered Serpent seemed to possess a strange allure, holding all three men's gazes. Chi Buzi did not reach out, but slowly drew his eyes away and said unhurriedly, "There is one more thing I wish to ask, Lord Wei."
Wei Xuanyin smiled and said, "Go ahead."
Chi Buzi said softly, "Chougui delights in concealment, gathering within the depths of water. Since the lord can hide… even the inherent rank left by the Feathered Serpent for its descendants can be hidden, to the point the Feathered Serpent loses its wings and the three hooks on its tail vanish…
"And yet, knowing that the seal may contain Metallic Essence, why not take it back? Why let it drift through the world?"
His eyes remained on the other party. "If the intention is to have someone retrieve it, even a True Monarch could not take it. How would I possibly obtain it?"
Wei Xuanyin glanced at Fuxuan, whose face had grown slightly pale, and clapped his hands softly. "Impressive, as expected of you, Fellow Daoist."
He rose to his feet, his tone turning deep and solemn as he said, "The [Xinyou Pristine Marsh Seal] is a token of the Feathered Serpent. It was once said to be among the candidates to be refined into a Dharma relic. In the end, the Feathered Serpent chose [Stillwater Radiance] instead, and this item passed into the hands of Serpent Monarch Mixuan.
"In those days, the True Hornless Dragon devoured the Pristine Water Feathered Serpent, ushering in the ancient age. But Serpent Monarch Mixuan fled as Pristine and Converging Water shifted and responded. The foremost of the Nine Sons, the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea, Dongfang Riju, who considered himself the foremost descendant of the Hornless Dragon, sensed something amiss but could not identify it. He went to consult the Dragon King of the Western Sea, Dongfang Yuezhu, yet even together they could not calculate it.
"From that moment on, cultivators began to suspect that the [Xinyou Pristine Marsh Seal] contained Metallic Essence, a contingency left behind by the Feathered Serpent."
Wei Xuanyin’s expression shifted, growing serious. "The True Hornless Dragon, as a great saint who attained the Dao in ancient times, would never act without purpose. He was confident then, but it was an unprecedented undertaking, and he ultimately fell. In ancient times, there existed a method of attaining the Void. Though he perished, his achievement was no less than theirs. With the tale of transforming Pristine Water into Converging Water, Pristine and Converging are no longer the same."
Dharma light rippled faintly within his eyes as a divine ability stirred of its own accord. It seemed he had invoked a divine ability of concealment to evade the karmic consequences of speaking recklessly about ancient matters.
"Serpent Monarch Mixuan cultivated in silence, refusing to enter the Intercalary and Surplus Positions. Secretly aided by the master of Pit Water, he reincarnated three times, shedding his spirituality and taking on human form. He sought to seize the position of Pristine Water in secret, but he encountered the then-unattained Master of Jade True in Jizhong State and lost his life.
"From that point on, the [Xinyou Pristine Marsh Seal] fell into the hands of the Origin Mansion."
Wei Xuanyin paused. Seeing that Chi Buzi remained expressionless, he knew the man already understood much and merely sought confirmation, so he continued softly, "It was not until Daoist Master Donghua appeared that this item resurfaced in the world. He gave it to Ning Tiaoxiao, who cultivates Pristine Water. Rumor has it that Chi Wei secretly leaked information that the item had been refined by moonlight and became a great wonder capable of guiding the path between Pristine Water and Converging Water. If the Metallic Essence still remains within, the implications run deep, and I won't need to elaborate.
"As for the Feathered Serpent, it is not only the lord who watches it. The dragons watch, and all cultivators watch as well."
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