A gleam of warm white light rose from his palm, then split into hues of yellow and white, weaving and drifting together like a rainbow after rain. The colors intermingled, then slowly merged back into a gentle white glow that sank down again.
But Yang Xiao'er felt no sharp edge from it. She was stunned at first, then overjoyed as she exclaimed, "Sword Essence?"
Li Xizhi smiled and said softly, "Years ago, when the palace descended and we fought for the Glazed Pagoda of Unrestrained Boundary on Dew Pot Island, the Dragon Clan did not intervene. Still, there were plenty of cultivators from the Southern Sea. Though spell arts are powerful, they are easily countered by specialized dharma artifacts. Now that I have Sword Essence in hand, things will be much easier should anything arise again."
Yang Xiao'er answered with a smile, then grew solemn. She stepped back, shut both doors, activated the protective formation, and drew out a talisman from her robe, pressing it onto the door as black light rippled across its surface.
After making sure no one was nearby, she stepped forward and whispered, "I inquired with my family. The spiritual aura has changed rapidly; the devil cultivators have been scattered; vitality flourishes; and small families and sects are springing up like bamboo after rain. The entire Stone Pond region is connected in qi ... almost every island is covered with the Timber-Ginseng Tree. My family has already taken notice."
The spiritual aura of Stone Pond in the Southern Sea had long been one of Peril Transcending and Karma Stabilizing, a pure Earth Virtue aura that benefited both devil cultivators and earth virtue. It was balanced among the Twelve Essences, yet somehow harmless to thunder. The rampant devil cultivators of recent years were inevitably linked to it. In recent decades this aura had grown increasingly unstable and was already entering decline.
When a spiritual aura flourishes, it supports cultivators and nourishes spirit items; when it declines, it instead requires cultivators and spirit items to sustain it. By eradicating the devil cultivators of Stone Pond, Li Xizhi had cut off the aura's last threads of survival, causing it to collapse suddenly. This forced the Island Master of Thunder Island to act personally against Li Xizhi despite the Azure Pond Sect's pressure. In the end even the Purple Mansion Realm cultivator of Thunder Island was sealed in the great void by a single talisman from Yuanxiu. The truth behind the event was complex, but to outsiders it was merely said that the island master of Thunder Island had challenged Li Xizhi and lost by a single move.
Even disciples of the immortal sects could only vaguely see it as a power struggle between Northern Dan's Stone Pond and Thunder Island, or at most a conflict between the Orthodox and Demonic Daos. Only a handful, Li Xizhi among them, knew that the Purple Mansion Realm cultivators had fought within the great void.
But Yuanxiu had pushed Li Xizhi to the forefront, which immediately made Yang Xiao'er uneasy. She sought to understand the true purpose behind eradicating the devil cultivators and altering the spiritual aura, so she had returned to her sect several times to inquire with her family.
When she mentioned the Timber-Ginseng Tree, Li Xizhi nodded lightly and said, "I once surveyed Stone Pond. The Timber-Ginseng Tree planted by the Lingu Family had already spread throughout the islands, so the eradication of the devil cultivators was a foregone conclusion. The Timber-Ginseng Tree thrives year-round like evergreen vines in the Southern Sea climate. Now that these small sects and families have risen, they indeed nurture the Lingu Family's Wuzha Worms...
"Though the Lingu Family withdrew from the region, most of its vital interests remain under the Azure Pond Sect's, or rather, the Lingu Family's control. Otherwise, they would never have yielded so easily. Yet with the spiritual aura shifting so rapidly, I fear something may soon happen."
Yang Xiao'er's expression grew grave as she spoke softly, "That is only the surface of the matter, there is a deeper meaning. According to my brother's research, the Timber-Ginseng Tree is a pillar wood, called Jia Wood[1] in ancient times. The Wuzha Worm is also of wood nature, a symbol of vital growth and procreation, called Yi Wood[2] back then. Their union is the pairing of Jia and Yi. You have brought peace to Stone Pond; it is not Azure Pond's main branch but a pillar nonetheless. Its revival through minor sects and families also signifies procreation, again, the union of Jia and Yi. There are many such symbolic parallels, all consistent with the patterns seen when the Lingu Family once ruled Stone Pond.
"My elders estimate that Stone Pond's spiritual aura will take at least a year or so to complete its transformation, with a seventy percent chance that it will likely shift into the Jia-Yi Form Pair, turning toward Wood Virtue."
Li Xizhi understood at once; he exhaled deeply, and said, "The union of Jia and Yi derives its symbol from Metal; the Jia-Yi Form Pair likely favors the Orthodox Wood. Daoist Master Yuanxiu's cooperation with the Lingu Family has lasted years, so I'm only finishing what he began. He seeks to form his Golden Core in the Southern Sea ... but he had only four divine abilities. Has he already attained the fifth?"
Yang Xiao'er lowered her gaze and said, "He likely couldn't find a fifth Dao lineage, and his lifespan is running out. Even for a Wood Virtue cultivator, time is short. If he doesn't make his breakthrough now, he never will. Do you remember Anhuai Heaven? It's said that Daoist Master Yuanxiu[1] burned its Dao Collection himself. Perhaps he had already found a replacement for the fifth divine ability then and wished no one to know. Now, with no choice left, he is ready to risk his life for it."
Li Xizhi rubbed the space between his eyebrows and said softly, "That's true as well. I've heard that among the Azure Pond Sect's three elders, Senior Yuansu[1] possessed the greatest innate talent, though his Dao lineage was lacking. Senior Si far surpasses Yuanwu, and now that he is attempting to form his Golden Core, even if he dies, he'll make a stunning mark. But once he falls, I'll be the one left to take the heat."
1. 甲 (jiǎ) is the first of the Ten Heavenly Stems (天干), paired with 乙 (yǐ) in classical Chinese cosmology. It represents the Yang aspect of the Wood element, standing as the active counterpart to 乙's Yi Wood. ☜
2. 乙 (Yǐ) is the second Heavenly Stem; symbolizes flexibility, fertility, and the receptive, life-nurturing aspect of growth. It is the Yin aspect of Wood element. ☜
1. Previously known as Yuan Su. ☜
1. Previously known as Yuan Xiu. ☜