Chapter 122: Motive

The moment the medicinal pill was swallowed, a rich, potent energy instantly flooded Cao Feng’s body, coursing through his limbs and bones. His damaged organs and tissues began to slowly recover.

Cao Feng let out a surprised gasp, his face etched with astonishment. He had taken life-preserving elixirs before, but this one felt different. He could sense that his body was absorbing the full potency of the medicine, as if it were his very first time taking such a pill.

"It’s improving!" Li Guanxuan finally exhaled in relief as he watched the injuries within Cao Feng’s body begin to mend.

"Wait, this isn't just a standard life-preserving pill, is it?" Sui Lan asked from the side, her face full of wonder.

Li Guanxuan explained with a smile, "It’s a specialized, alternative life-preserving pill I concocted by accident. It contains blood-thread spirit ginseng and dragon-blood ganoderma, both of high vintage. Beyond healing wounds, it can also extend one's lifespan by a few years."

Of course, this was not a conventional life-preserving elixir; it was a customized immortal pill of his own making. While it did contain the aforementioned ingredients, the true catalyst was the concealed wood-element immortal energy. This energy was the critical component, as it not only prolonged life but also accelerated the body’s natural healing processes.

Sui Lan realized the truth, though she knew in her heart that this pill contained far more than just those two spirit herbs. This was Li Guanxuan’s proprietary formula, and as an alchemist, he would never reveal it lightly.

"Thank you," Cao Feng said, realizing just how precious this pill was—especially since it was intended for Li Guanxuan’s own protection.

"Brother Cao, that sounds a bit distant, doesn't it?" Li Guanxuan replied with a laugh. "Besides, you were injured because of me. If not for that, you wouldn’t have been caught off guard by Sang Shaoxian’s treachery."

At the mention of that name, Cao Feng’s eyes filled with killing intent. He gritted his teeth and snarled, "That creature is lower than a dog!"

Years ago, it was Cao Feng who had taken Sang Shaoxian in, treated him as an honored guest, allowed him to recruit followers in Silver Maple City, and even introduced him to many of his own friends. He had treated him with nothing but sincerity. He never expected that Sang Shaoxian would strike the moment he was at his most vulnerable.

"Have you looked into his motives?" Li Guanxuan asked.

Cao Feng shook his head. "He attacked me that night and immediately fled. He left no clues behind."

Li Guanxuan frowned slightly. Sang Shaoxian wouldn't have acted without a reason; there had to be an ulterior motive.

"Brother Cao, don't let anyone else touch your injuries. Leave it to me. I can help you recover completely. In ten years at most, I promise to return you to your peak," Li Guanxuan advised. "For now, stay at the estate and recuperate. I will handle the matter regarding Sang Shaoxian. But you must remember: keep your state of mind stable. If you succeed, you still have a chance at the Golden Core stage; if you lose your composure, you will be limited to a True Core."

Hearing these heartfelt words, a look of emotion crossed Cao Feng’s face. Despite his severe injuries, he realized he still had those who were willing to stand by him.

"Very well, I shall entrust my life to you for the time being. If you need any spirit herbs, just let me know," Cao Feng agreed. He knew the treatment would require expensive medicinal ingredients, and he didn't want Li Guanxuan to bear the entire cost alone.

Li Guanxuan nodded, not bothering with formalities. Before leaving, he warned once more, "Brother Cao, remember, leave the healing to me. Do not take any pills given to you by others. I will return and have Qiyue send over her life-preserving pill. Once taken, you should be able to absorb sixty or seventy percent of its potency. I will find ways to develop other healing medicines in the meantime. Just rest assured."

Cao Feng agreed. After Li Guanxuan left, Sui Lan watched his retreating figure and sighed, "You, the perennial 'good guy,' have finally met someone who is actually good."

Cao Feng laughed. "It’s just sincerity being met with sincerity. Though I may be unlucky at times, as long as the human race is willing to interact with a demon cultivator like me, it is a good thing. I have no great talents or abilities; I simply want to carve out a few places in the Immortal Ruins where my kind can survive, in my own way."

Sui Lan remained silent. Ever since Cao Feng arrived at the Immortal Ruins, he had advocated for the peaceful coexistence of demons and humans in Silver Maple City. He welcomed impoverished human cultivators with open arms, showing no prejudice. She understood that Cao Feng was attempting to foster coexistence in his own way, but to any other demon cultivator, such an idea seemed impractical, even delusional. Humans had defended against demons at Sky’s End City for tens of thousands of years; if they weren't strong enough, they wouldn't have let the demons occupy part of the Immortal Ruins. These lands were conquered through strength, not through talk of peace.

"What you are doing might eventually lead you to total ruin," Sui Lan said, her expression grave.

"Future problems can be dealt with in the future," Cao Feng replied, unbothered. He looked up at the sky and sighed, "We have stayed in the frozen snows for too long, until even our hearts have turned cold. We must seek the sunlight and feel the warmth of the mortal world to truly live long in this land."

Sui Lan did not respond. Everyone had their own way of living. She could not bring herself to agree with Cao Feng’s desire to change an entire race.

An hour later, Qin Qiyue arrived to deliver the life-preserving pill, instructing Cao Feng to wait a month before taking it.

...

Back home, Li Guanxuan spent some time with his wives. Once refreshed, he returned to his cultivation room to refine immortal energy.

"My wood-attribute spiritual root has reached seventy percent of the high-grade stage, and my earth-attribute root is only ten percent away from high-grade. At this rate, it will take me ten years to naturally progress through each layer of the late Foundation Establishment stage."

Li Guanxuan analyzed his progress. In about thirty or forty years, he would be ready to form his Core. At seventy-seven years old, forming a Core just past his centennial would be a massive leap in talent compared to his past.

"I must take this opportunity to deal with Sang Shaoxian. I hadn't thought of a valid excuse to kill him in front of Cao Feng, but now I have an opening..."

Li Guanxuan narrowed his eyes. Perhaps he could cooperate with the sect leader of Falling Moon Valley. He could also take the opportunity to check on Chen Yinshan in the Hundred Thousand Mountains. After all, Zhao Gui-li only had about ten years left to live; Chen Yinshan needed to form his Golden Core within that time to save her.

"For now, I'll stay home and cultivate. I should also practice the hundred arts of immortality. If I let those skills stagnate, I’ll never break through that bottleneck."

He sighed internally. There was so much left to do. However, improving his mastery of these arts also significantly bolstered his divine sense, as most of them were inextricably linked to it. Refining his craft was, in essence, refining his spirit.

Three years later, Li Guanxuan reached the age of eighty. His earth-attribute spiritual root had been elevated to high-grade quality. He possessed sixty-six drops of liquid mana.

His mastery of artifact forging had reached the second-tier low-grade level—he found that weapons tailored by his own hands were the easiest to use.

"My array-forging skills have finally reached the second-tier high-grade. With the current defenses of Peace Garden, not even a pseudo-Core master could easily break through," Li Guanxuan thought with a smile.

Of course, these were defensive measures. His true offensive power lay in the talisman-treasures he had crafted over the past three years: seven second-tier high-grade Wind-Thunder Talismans and two third-tier low-grade Talisman Arrays—the Dark Realm Talisman and the Purple Frost Talisman. Each could instantly form a second-tier high-grade array, with the power of the talismans themselves reaching the third-tier low-grade.

"It’s a pity that true talisman-treasures can only be forged with the solid mana of the Golden Core stage. Even as a third-tier talisman master, I cannot forge them yet," Li Guanxuan lamented.

"My spiritual stones are running low. Sword cultivation is truly a money pit..."

Li Guanxuan could now control sixty-six flying swords. Each was nearly a second-tier high-grade artifact, maximizing his lethality, but at a significant cost in spiritual stones. However, if he wanted to slay a peak Foundation Establishment master, he had to rely on his financial power. This allowed for an instant kill rather than a drawn-out, fluctuating battle. He wasn't filming a play or a competition; in a life-or-death struggle, he would never use a second move if the first could finish the job. Who knew if there were hidden enemies waiting in the wings?

"I've only repaired a third-tier puppet; I haven't forged one yet... but I don't have the time. I'll borrow one from my master; we’re close enough now," he thought, stretching until his bones popped.

After stepping out of the cultivation room, Wen Rongxin approached him. "Husband, many people have tried to visit lately, but we’ve turned them away, saying you were in seclusion."

Li Guanxuan nodded. His rising fame naturally attracted those who wanted to curry favor. Plus, with a master who had formed a Purple Gold Core, he had become a target for those looking to climb the social ladder.

Song Zhiqiao added, "We can't keep refusing everyone; it makes you seem arrogant. I think you should see them when you have the time, even if just for a formal greeting."

"True, social graces must be maintained," Li Guanxuan said, pulling them close. "Where is Qiyue?"

"Where else? She went to see Master again," Song Zhiqiao teased. "You’ve been in seclusion for months forging talismans, and Sister Qiyue has been going to Master to pass the time."

"Then let me pass the time for both of you," Li Guanxuan laughed.

...

The following day, after a spirited encounter, Li Guanxuan prepared to meet his guests. Both Wen Rongxin and Song Zhiqiao were powerful cultivators in their own right, and with their improved innate talents, they had reached the second layer of their cultivation.

That day, two second-tier talisman masters named Du Kailiang and Zhang Qing'e visited. They lived next door and had failed to see Li Guanxuan several times, so they were surprised to find him welcoming them personally today.

"My apologies. I was in seclusion forging talismans, which is why I turned you away before. I hope you can forgive me," Li Guanxuan said with a bow.

The couple quickly returned the bow. "You are too kind, Master Li."

"Please, have a seat and tea," Li Guanxuan said. "My wives are resting, so they cannot join us."

"We understand, we understand..."

They discussed talisman techniques and exchanged gifts. Seeing that the offerings were modest—mostly raw materials—Li Guanxuan accepted them graciously, planning to return the favor in the future.

After seeing them off, Li Guanxuan headed to the Vientiane Pavilion in the Number One Marketplace.

"Brother Zheng? Why are you always running to this marketplace lately?" Li Guanxuan asked with a knowing smirk when he saw Zheng Huangjin. He knew the reason: the new manager, Cheng Yanzhi, was a female cultivator, and Zheng had been using every work excuse possible to visit her.

"Go on, get out of here," Zheng Huangjin retorted, rolling his eyes. Then, remembering something, he pulled Li Guanxuan aside and lowered his voice.

"I found the motive for Sang Shaoxian’s attack on Cao Feng. An elder from the Thunder-Fire Sect revealed it. Sang Shaoxian had made a deal with Lei Gongwang: Lei would severely injure Cao Feng, and Sang would finish the job. Now that Lei is dead and the sect has been wiped out, Sang probably feared the truth would come out, so he tried to kill Cao Feng and steal his storage artifacts to flee Silver Maple City. He didn't expect the assassination to fail."

Li Guanxuan’s eyes sharpened with killing intent. "Do you know where he is hiding?"

"He fled to the Hundred Thousand Mountains," Zheng Huangjin said. "Sang’s actions caused the Joyous Mountain forces he spent years building to collapse. Now, both human and demon Foundation Establishment masters are hunting him to avenge Cao Feng. I must say, the connections Cao Feng built over the years are quite terrifying."

A man who advocated for coexistence and treated humans and demons as equals would naturally command great respect.

"Got it," Li Guanxuan nodded. He happened to be heading to the Hundred Thousand Mountains anyway.

After Zheng Huangjin went off to find Cheng Yanzhi, Li Guanxuan climbed to the top floor of the pavilion. His Golden Core-level divine sense was blocked by a spirit-protection talisman, and behind that, a layer of Liu Xiaoxian’s mana kept outsiders from seeing or hearing what was inside. Li Guanxuan didn't need to guess what was happening.

He sent a transmission talisman through the barrier with four simple words:

"Qiyue, open the door!"