Chapter 47: Five series golden elixir
Mi Xingzhe woke up in the Fanli Valley Inn and heard someone entering the room. Rubbing his somewhat dry eyes, he finally saw the person in front of him.
"Master, how did we end up here?" Mi Xingzhe, somewhat confused, rubbed his temples and slowly stood up to ask.
"Do you not remember?"
"I only remember going to Miss Ruoying's place for tea, and then I woke up here. Where is this place?" Mi Xingzhe stretched his body, looked around, and continued to ask.
Seeing that his master did not respond, Mi Xingzhe got out of bed and began to look around the room, opened the window to look at the street scene outside, then turned around and stared at the figure before speaking,
"It's the first time I've seen Master wearing dark clothes."
"Does it look good?"
"It looks good, but it feels a bit strange."
"What's strange about it?"
"I can't quite say, but it seems more somber than usual." What Mi Xingzhe didn't know was that the "Master" in front of him was not Li Luoning, but Li Minghan, who had the same twin face.
"Do you mean I wasn't somber before?" Li Minghan asked.
"Master usually only wears light colors. It's the first time I've seen you in black, so it feels different."
Mi Xingzhe touched the back of his neck and moved his slightly stiff neck. "Master, why are we here? Where is this place?"
"You were kidnapped, and I... I rescued you and brought you here temporarily," Li Minghan explained.
"Kidnapped again? Was it those people from Wuming Demon Mountain? Why are they so interested in me? Where is Qingyi? Didn't he come along?" Mi Xingzhe looked around, stretching his neck.
"I sent him to handle some matters," Li Minghan answered.
"Oh, now that I'm awake, can we go back?" Mi Xingzhe got up and headed for the door.
"Wait," Li Minghan reached out to stop him. "It's rare to come out. How about I take you around? We can go back later."
"Sure!" Mi Xingzhe happily agreed. After all, he had wanted to go out and play before, but his master always forbade it. This time, his master wanted to take him out personally, and he was delighted.
It happened to be the Tianzhong Festival. The sky was filled with various kites, and the streets were bustling with the scent of grass. Almost every house had calamus hanging at the door. Street vendors were loudly hawking all kinds of goods, making the place lively.
"Master, what day is it today? Why is it so lively?" Mi Xingzhe asked, intrigued by the bustling streets.
"May 5th," Li Minghan responded, waving the black and gold silk fan in his hand.
[May 5th, my godfather's birthday.]
"Oh, right! Today is the Tianzhong Festival. No wonder it's so lively." Mi Xingzhe lightly patted his head, finally remembering.
"Calamus! Fresh calamus!" a nearby vendor shouted.
"Master, look, it's calamus. Should we buy some to take back?" Mi Xingzhe said, looking at the stall.
"What for?"
"For the Orchid Bath. Master had me memorize the text before: 'On the fifth day of the fifth month, it is called the Orchid Bath Festival, where people bathe in orchid water. If orchid water is not available, one can bathe with five-colored herbs gathered at noon.' I remember it all. Master doesn't need to pretend to test me." Mi Xingzhe proudly recited a few lines with a satisfied look.
"Suit yourself."
Li Minghan, uninterested in herbal medicine and the Tianzhong Festival, casually dropped these words and walked forward.
"Master, Master~" After saluting the vendor, Mi Xingzhe hurriedly caught up.
The two walked through the market for a while before Li Minghan suddenly stopped, turning to Mi Xingzhe and asking, "Do I usually only teach you about herbal medicine?"
"No, no. Master also taught me some mental techniques and basic spells," Mi Xingzhe quickly explained.
"Oh? Why don't you find a place to practice and show me what you've learned?" Hearing that Mi Xingzhe knew some immortal techniques, Li Minghan became interested.
Before long, they arrived at an open field outside the city. "Come on, let's see what you've learned," Li Minghan said, standing to the side with his hands behind his back, his tone indifferent.
"Huh? Spar with you, Master? Didn't I always spar with Qingyi before?" Mi Xingzhe hesitated.
"Stop talking nonsense."
Without a doubt, Mi Xingzhe was pushed to the ground by Li Minghan's palm wind before he could even make a move.
"Is this all you know?" Li Minghan brushed his hands disdainfully, casting a contemptuous glance at the fallen Mi Xingzhe.
"Master's cultivation is higher than mine, of course, I can't win," Mi Xingzhe struggled to get up and dusted off the dirt on his clothes.
Li Minghan suddenly became interested, his eyes narrowing, and a smile playing at his lips. He looked down at Mi Xingzhe and slowly said, "How about I pass on some of my power to you?"
"Pass... pass your power to me?" Mi Xingzhe was caught off guard by the sudden pressure, thinking that his master seemed strange today, but he still agreed.
"Good, good."
"Very well." Li Minghan's lips curled into a sinister smile, his eyes filled with both satisfaction and a hint of malice. He pulled Mi Xingzhe to sit on a nearby stone.
"Mas... Master?" Sitting on the ground, Mi Xingzhe was at a loss, just about to turn and say something.
"Shut up."
"Oh." Mi Xingzhe obediently straightened his body, formed a hand seal with his hands facing upward, and gently closed his eyes, feeling the internal energy being transmitted.
Li Minghan claimed to be transferring power but was actually testing Mi Xingzhe's cultivation level. Through this process, he discovered the golden core within Mi Xingzhe.
[Unexpectedly, this seemingly unremarkable disciple harbors a golden core. No wonder Li Luoning treasures this little disciple so much.] Li Minghan quickly grasped the full extent of Mi Xingzhe's abilities.
[I wonder what would happen if demonic energy were combined with a golden core?] With this thought, Li Minghan gathered demonic energy in his palm and forcefully pushed it into Mi Xingzhe's body.
"Ugh..." The sudden surge of energy was overwhelming for Mi Xingzhe, who felt a powerful force rampaging inside him. He furrowed his brows, biting his lip to endure.
"Is that all you can take?" Seeing Mi Xingzhe's reaction, Li Minghan sneered.
[Why does Master seem so different today, almost like a completely different person?] Mi Xingzhe couldn't shake the feeling that something was off but still managed to suppress the turbulent energy within him, forcing out a few words through clenched teeth, "I can still go on..."
"Oh? Since you can, I'll give you a bit more." Li Minghan mercilessly sent another surge of demonic energy into Mi Xingzhe.
The previously subdued internal energy became uncontrollable, and Mi Xingzhe felt a burning sensation in his chest. The energy inside him was like a flood beast, rampaging wildly. He spat out a mouthful of blood and then passed out.
"Pathetic."
Li Minghan glanced disdainfully at the fallen Mi Xingzhe, spitting out the word with contempt.
Mi Xingzhe's body occasionally pulsed with energy, alternating between golden and black hues. The golden core within his chest emitted a silvery-white light, gradually absorbing the demonic energy. Meanwhile, a faint mark was forming on the back of Mi Xingzhe's neck.
Elsewhere, in a mountain cave, Li Luoning and Yun Qingyi were facing their own challenges. The previous fierce battle had left Li Luoning with only fifty percent of his strength, and although Yun Qingyi's poison had been cured, the rubble blocking the cave entrance was a major problem.
"Master, there are more rocks than we anticipated, and it seems the entrance collapsed from above. The more we break, the more rocks fall," Yun Qingyi said while clearing the stones.
"Qingyi, do you still have a Flowing Light Butterfly?" Li Luoning asked, looking at the cave's opening.
"Yes." Yun Qingyi quickly took one out from his pocket and handed it to Li Luoning.
Li Luoning took the Flowing Light Butterfly, gently touched his lips with two fingers, and murmured a spell. He then looked at the butterfly, his fingers moving as he spoke,
"Go."
The Flowing Light Butterfly transformed into a golden butterfly and flew out through a small gap in the cave's opening.
"I've sent a message back. It will take at least a day for help to arrive from The Liao Yin Immortal Realm."
"Master, Xingzhe's life is uncertain, yet you don't seem worried at all," Yun Qingyi said anxiously, but there was nothing else they could do.
"Qingyi, do you remember the golden core in Xingzhe's body?" Li Luoning seemed to have anticipated Yun Qingyi's question.
"I remember. Isn't that why those people keep kidnapping Xingzhe?" Yun Qingyi asked, puzzled.
Li Luoning shook his head. "Xingzhe's golden core is different from what we know."
"What's different about it?" Yun Qingyi was puzzled by this revelation.
"The fact that I have a golden core is true, but mine is a single fire element golden core. Cultivators know how rare golden cores are, but few realize that they come in multiple elemental types," Li Luoning explained unhurriedly.
"Multiple elemental types?" Yun Qingyi was even more confused by this term.
"I once read an ancient text in my master's library. It recorded the concept of multiple elemental golden cores. A single elemental golden core focuses on one of the five elements, while multiple elemental golden cores are divided into dual-element and five-element types. I once met a senior who possessed a dual-element golden core. While not omnipotent, he had the ability to summon wind and rain," Li Luoning explained.
"Is Xingzhe's golden core a dual-element one?" Yun Qingyi asked quickly.
Li Luoning's lips curved slightly, and a look of joy flashed in his eyes. He shook his head again, "If I'm not mistaken, Xingzhe's golden core is a rare five-element type."
"Five-element!" Yun Qingyi was astonished, having never heard of such a thing.
Li Luoning wasn't surprised by Yun Qingyi's reaction. After all, the five-element golden core had been extinct for tens of thousands of years. Even his master, Liao Yin, had only read about it in ancient books and had never encountered one.
"The so-called five-element golden core allows one to master the immortal arts of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. The golden core itself perfectly integrates these elements without causing any internal energy damage to the host. Therefore, there is no worry of mutual reinforcement and mutual restraint, nor of the pure and impure forces of heaven and earth," Li Luoning continued.
"No wonder Master had Yue Ruling teach Xingzhe body techniques. I thought Yue Ruling's Yanzi Clan techniques wouldn't help Xingzhe much. It turns out Master already knew that Xingzhe could learn any technique from the five elements," Yun Qingyi said, realizing the situation.
Li Luoning nodded in agreement and continued, "Although Yue Ruling doesn't possess a golden core, her body was transformed by celestial herbs, and with Qingyuan's guidance, she excels in wood element cultivation. Besides, this five-element golden core has another unknown function."
"Another function?"
"This golden core, being capable of mastering the five elements, is extremely intelligent. It instinctively protects its host, for if the host's body dies, the five-element golden core will also perish," Li Luoning explained.
"Protects its host? Does that mean..." Yun Qingyi pondered Li Luoning's words and suddenly understood.
Seeing Yun Qingyi's reaction, Li Luoning was pleased with his comprehension, "This golden core can protect its master."
"So Xingzhe has been repeatedly kidnapped because someone else discovered that he has a five-element golden core?" Yun Qingyi asked.
"Although it appears that someone is targeting Xingzhe, the real aim is another person," Li Luoning sighed deeply.
"Another person? If Xingzhe isn't their target, then who is it?" Yun Qingyi was still confused.
"Me."
In the outskirts of the city, it was already evening. Mi Xingzhe groggily sat up from the ground, vaguely seeing a bonfire not far away, but his master was nowhere in sight.
He got up from the ground and saw a figure by the bushes not far away. "Master," Mi Xingzhe called softly. He wanted to walk over, but the look he received stopped him in his tracks.
[Why does Master look at me with such hostility and killing intent?]
Hearing the voice behind him, Li Minghan turned around warily, but upon seeing it was Mi Xingzhe, he retracted his murderous intent, his eyes narrowing slightly, "You're awake."
His hand behind his back subtly signaled someone to leave.
"Master, why are you standing here alone?"
Seeing Mi Xingzhe approaching, Li Minghan quickly walked towards him, ignoring his question. He walked straight to the bonfire, leaning against a tree with his arms crossed.
Mi Xingzhe followed, but as he turned, a barely perceptible white figure flashed behind him.
Seeing his master ignoring him, Mi Xingzhe thought he was angry because of his earlier performance, "Master, I didn't mean to pass out earlier," Mi Xingzhe said, gently tugging on Li Minghan's sleeve.
Li Minghan visibly resisted the unexpected touch, looking at Mi Xingzhe with disgust.
However, as if remembering something, his expression softened, and he turned to Mi Xingzhe with a slight smile, "I just transferred some power to you. You can try it now," he said, gesturing towards a nearby thick tree trunk.
Mi Xingzhe looked at his master, then at the tree trunk twice as thick as himself, and swallowed hard.
"This?" Mi Xingzhe agreed reluctantly, then concentrated, mobilizing his internal energy. He clasped his hands together, raised his left hand slowly, closed his eyes to feel the surge of energy within him, and lightly touched his brow with his fingers. A black-green mist flew towards the tree trunk as his hand moved.
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