Chapter 1757: All Ready (I)

Li Ximing continued to temper himself, nurturing his nature and cultivating the True, as the days turned into months.

One day, radiance surged through the pavilion. Li Ximing rubbed the center of his brows, rose to his feet, and let out a long breath. A faint wave of dizziness washed over him, and he closed his eyes for a breath or two before finally recovering and feeling much more comfortable.

A man sat on the meditation cushion beside him, looking almost identical to him. His robes fluttered gently in the spiritual qi, while his features appeared even smoother and more handsome. With no unnecessary expression on his face, he seemed all the more sacred and transcendent.

It was none other than the [Divided Spirit and Variant Body].

It no longer had the stiff, lifeless appearance of months ago. Its flesh now looked warm and supple, and the only difference between its face and Li Ximing's was that the variant body's complexion was ever so slightly rosier, a distinction so subtle that it was nearly invisible to the naked eye.

Its attire, however, differed slightly. A jade pendant hung from its waist, inscribed with three characters, Li Gufeng.

Li Ximing had made arrangements long ago while refining this object. He had established a mountain-guarding position on his own Zhijing Mountain and entered the name [Li Gufeng] into the records. He had even had a family jade pendant and a set of clothes specially prepared for him.

The [Divided Spirit and Variant Body] was fundamentally a form of external incarnation. Its very purpose was for the clone to obscure the workings of heaven and cause divinatory methods to misjudge its identity. Daoist arts could ordinarily discern a person's true nature, but now that the [Divided Spirit and Variant Body] had been dressed in these clothes and given an identity plaque of its own, Li Ximing activated the [Light of the Six Directions].

This was precisely one of the wonders of the [Radiance Under Heaven]. Now that ‘Li Gufeng’ had become his subordinate, heavenly light naturally shone upon him and their divine abilities became linked, greatly reducing both the time and difficulty required to nurture the body with the Fate Divine Ability. The speed of its refinement increased by leaps and bounds.

Even after taking this shortcut, the intensive nurturing over this period had nearly exhausted Li Ximing's mental energy. As he looked at the variant body sitting there with its eyes closed as though immersed in meditation, even he felt a faint chill of alarm.

It's far too lifelike....Anyone without a divine ability definitely won't be able to see through it...

Only now could the [Divided Spirit and Variant Body] finally be considered complete!

Li Ximing had been in such a hurry to create this inferior practitioner because the artifact's greatest mystic lay precisely in this function. Before a major battle, he only needed to cut off a piece of his finger, cast a spell to have 'Li Gufeng' swallow it, and connect the two through his Fate Divine Ability. Their lives would then become linked. This technique was known as [Sealing the Life].

After [Sealing the Life], for a short period, twenty to forty percent of most injuries he suffered would be transferred to the [Divided Spirit and Variant Body]. When it came to curses, talismanic hexes, and sinister arts that interfered with spiritual sense, such as the methods of the Changxiao Treasure Vase, as much as sixty percent could be transferred!

In other words... even if I suffer a fatal injury on the lake... at worst, I'll only lose this [Divided Spirit and Variant Body], while gaining a chance to escape with my life...

If I can master the Profound Vast Art for elevating Pure Essence, I might even be able to abandon my original body outright and escape through the [Divided Spirit and Variant Body]...

Each use of [Sealing the Life], regardless of whether the [Divided Spirit and Variant Body] ultimately came into play, would deepen the affinity between the variant body and the original. After hundreds or even thousands of uses, together with sufficient Dao conduct, they could eventually share injuries even without [Sealing the Life].

However, this wondrous technique was not just limited to this kind of use. Ancient Daoists could employ the variant body in all manner of ways to deceive their enemies. Li Ximing did not possess such abilities, but he had still gained a few insights of his own.

The scroll mentions that a spirit item can be placed in its mouth during [Sealing the Life], so long as there is no conflict. Jade was also written as best. The spirit item can then be consumed to reduce the injuries suffered by the variant body.

This came as a tremendous surprise to Li Ximing!

He quietly went to the cabinet and took out a portion of [Supreme Yin Moonlight]!

The [Divided Spirit and Variant Body] would inevitably be exposed to others sooner or later, so he had never dared to use [Supreme Yin Moonlight] in its refinement. Using it as a consumable, however, could not have been more suitable... The family might be short on everything else, but this was one thing they had in abundance!

He brought two fingers together before his lips and drew the moon-white treasure out of the bottle, condensing it into a pellet the size of a fingertip. He then gently closed his eyes, and ‘Li Gufeng’, who had been sitting quietly in meditation on the cushion, abruptly opened his own.

The eye sockets were completely empty, yet it somehow seemed as though something invisible within them was observing the surroundings, making for an eerie sight. He slowly parted his lips, revealing teeth as white as jade, and took the pellet into his mouth. His eyelids immediately drooped once more, and he returned to his meditative state.

Only then did Li Ximing open his eyes, looking quite satisfied. "With this, I can make use of it whenever necessary."

He raised his hand slightly, and 'Li Gufeng' lightly sprang into the air, transforming into a palm-sized wooden figurine that drifted gently into Li Ximing's sleeve. He gave his sleeve a slight shake and calculated the date on his fingers. Six months had already passed, and the jade pendant representing Yang Ruiyi was flickering between light and dark. Clearly, a major event was imminent.

He promptly descended to the lower realm and manifested among the mountains. Sure enough, he was informed that Sima Yuanli had long been waiting on the island, so he had the man brought in.

Unlike Li Ximing, this man had little confidence in the situation. He looked anxious and deeply worried as he hurried to a stop before the table

He quickly called out, "Greetings, Zhaojing!"

Li Ximing returned the greeting and noticed a graceful beauty standing behind him. She was dressed entirely in plain white and carried a box in her arms, while frigid clouds floated around her in the shape of circling silver sparrows. It was none other than the Fairy Qiuhu, Ning Wan.

Yang Ruiyi had not assigned Ning Wan to help defend the island. Li Ximing was momentarily surprised and greeted her.

Ning Wan smiled and nodded to him, then set down the jade box in her arms and said softly, "Greetings, Zhaojing. Congratulations on attaining your divine ability. I've come to bring you something."

She opened the jade box, revealing a vivid red jade pearl within. It was crystal clear, covered by only a thin crystalline shell. Trapped inside was a tiny, exquisitely formed beast. Its body was curled and back arched, as it filled nearly the entire pearl.

"This is the [Everlasting Prosperity Pearl], a special protective talisman once used by cultivators of Great Liang. Sealed within it is an extremely powerful [Unfettered Herald Ox]."

Ning Wan resealed the box with her divine ability, her expression turning solemn as she said, "Old Daoist Master Diyan of Mount Qusi asked me to deliver this... He learned after our conversation that a great battle was about to break out on the lake while the King of Wei had yet to emerge from seclusion, so he specifically asked me to bring this over as his way of doing what little he could."

Ning Wan seemed somewhat hesitant. After a brief pause, she continued, "This item is extremely precious. It is one of the old Daoist Master's most treasured possessions, kept in reserve for emergencies. At a critical moment, it can save a life."

Li Ximing had long heard of Diyan and also knew that Mount Qusi wished to forge closer ties with his family, but this gesture of concern was genuine and so generous that he almost felt uncomfortable accepting it.

Somewhat moved, he asked, "Please thank the elder on my behalf... How could I possibly deserve such a precious treasure..."

Ning Wan shook her head and replied, "The old Daoist Master asked me to pass a message to you... He wanted to thank you, Zhaojing, for protecting Nanwu amid its enemies and preventing the Guo Family from becoming involved..."

Li Ximing was slightly taken aback and frowned. "Is this about the Eastern Sea?"

Ning Wan seemed somewhat wary and quietly brought the subject to an end. "That, I do not know, nor is it something I should know."

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