The Great Accomplished Supreme, Most Sacred, Mysterious Spiritual Treasure Imperial Crown Prince

Two days passed without incident. Life was so peaceful that Li Yunxin found himself marveling—how long had it been since he had felt so unhurried and at ease?

Over those two days, Liu Laodao truly treated Li Yunxin as his "master." He waited on him with fine tea and water, fawned over him with utmost care, and did not even step out the door.

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So Li Yunxin taught him "Watercloud Force."

According to his parents, Watercloud Force was the beginner's portion of an entire cultivation art, and it too belonged to the Heavenly Heart Orthodox Law. They had not had time to pass on the more profound methods to him. But this technique alone could already be called vast and profound—it tempered both the body and spiritual power. For a painter, it was an extremely useful method.

And for the "painters" of the mortal world, it was practically an "unsurpassed divine art."

Thus Liu Laodao went to the side room to study the mnemonic formula Li Yunxin had taught him, while Li Yunxin reopened the Tongming Jade Slip. For now, he could only read some broad, commonplace things, things considered "common goods" within the jade slip. But even common goods were the common goods of the previous generation's Painting Sage, an enemy of the entire world.

Within it, he found a method to lift the restriction on the Snow Mountain Qi Sea. This matter cost him quite a bit of effort. A person like the Painting Sage was like a university professor; a professor's scientific notes would never say, "Based on the Pythagorean theorem, we may infer..." They were rather fond of phrases like, "The proof is straightforward."

Thus, many things that the Painting Sage had casually skipped over required Li Yunxin to rack his brains and puzzle them out himself. He guessed that Liu Laodao in the neighboring side room was in much the same situation.

For example, regarding the sealing of the Snow Mountain Qi Sea, the Painting Sage's attitude was simply, "Just undo it."

Li Yunxin spent a day and a half, swiping until his thumb ached, before he barely managed to learn that the power of this sort of restriction sealing the Qi Sea could be countered with another kind of power. For example, demonic power.

He had naturally considered before whether great demons like the Ninth Young Master and Bai Yunxin could easily undo the restriction. But unless one had gone mad, who would let such beings touch their Qi Sea? Once the Snow Mountain Qi Sea was ruined, cultivation would be impossible for the rest of one's life.

The little cat demon had demonic power... but even when her entire spirit body had possessed him that day, she had been unable to do anything. Clearly, her meager demonic power was of no use.

But there was another kind of power—Votive Power. Demons could absorb Votive Power and turn it into their own cultivation. Perhaps Votive Power would work.

Li Yunxin set his sights on the Dragon King Temple out front.

Thus, at noon that day, while the two sat beside a stone table amid the bamboo grove, Li Yunxin answered several of Liu Laodao's questions before saying, "I want to replace the Dragon King statue out front."

Liu Laodao said, "Yes, yes, yes... huh?"

"The paint on that statue has peeled off, and the design isn't beautiful either. You and I are both in the arts—can you stand it?"

Over the past two days, Liu Laodao had grown accustomed to Li Yunxin's way of speaking and knew that he was dissatisfied with the Dragon King statue. Still, he gave an awkward laugh. "Well, Brother Xin, that statue is indeed not beautiful. But it is the seat of a true god... that is why it has never been moved. It is unlike some temples, whose statues are dazzling in gold and jade, yet are nothing more than clay figures."

"It is said that over a hundred years ago, one year, the Wei River Dragon King was riding the clouds and spreading rain. He grew tired midway and came to this temple to rest his feet. For some reason, he took a liking to this statue, and so left a trace of spiritual energy upon it. From then on, those who came here to pray for rain often had their prayers answered. This poor Daoist's learning is shallow, and I do not know whether that is true. But it is said that masters from the Grotto Heaven School came here before and said that the statue truly bore spiritual energy..."

"Are there any other temples in this city?" Li Yunxin asked him. "Your temple's incense offerings are not flourishing, and few people come. There must be other large temples elsewhere, right?"

"...There is one at Three Rivers Crossing outside the city. It also worships the Wei River Dragon King. Hmph, that temple was only built several decades ago, and it is resplendent in gold and jade—quite pretty." Liu Laodao sounded resentful. "That is what stole away the incense offerings. Back when my master was still alive..."

"Does that temple also have the seat of a true god?"

"Uh... it does..."

"Then that settles it. There is another one that can be used anyway.

That is decided. This afternoon, find someone to tear down the statue. I will hang something else there. Look at you—your location is bad, and your products never get upgraded or replaced. Where would your incense money come from? That place is also a Dragon King Temple, while here you are merely a Dragon King Temple. Of course people will not come worship here."

Had it been anyone else, Liu Laodao would surely have ignored him. But Li Yunxin had taught him Watercloud Force, and now casually spoke of tearing down the seat of a true god. Liu Laodao only felt that this was the bearing of an expert from the Grotto Heaven School—clearly, Li Yunxin had seen such things often and did not take them to heart at all.

So he gritted his teeth, stamped his foot, sighed repeatedly, and said, "Fine, fine, fine. I will listen to Brother Xin. It is only that with this temple here, there had originally been at least some income every month. If we truly tear it down..."

Li Yunxin smiled. "Who said that tearing it down means it will no longer be a temple? I will put something else up."

Fortunately, Yu Meng had previously left behind a hundred taels of silver, and Liu Laodao had pocketed two taels for himself. So he spent money to hire some people, and that afternoon they dismantled the statue.

Then Li Yunxin called him over to add the finishing touch to the eyes.

Liu Laodao entered the room that had once belonged to him and saw a mounted eight-foot vertical scroll laid on the table. It used Cloudborne Paper, treasured by mortal painters, unafraid of smoke or flame. Two people were painted on the paper.

At the center stood a man in a golden helmet and golden armor, holding a viciously shaped spear. Liu Laodao felt that the man's face looked somewhat like Li Yunxin, though perhaps it was merely an illusion. Beside the golden-armored man stood a woman in a red helmet and red armor, attending him, though her complexion seemed somewhat dim.

The brushwork was beyond reproach—vividly lifelike, with striking forms, as though they might leap from the paper the next moment.

But Liu Laodao did not know which divine beings the two people in the painting were.

Li Yunxin handed him the brush and said with a smile, "This man's surname is Jia and his given name is Wen. He is the Great Accomplished Supreme, Most Sacred, Mysterious Spiritual Treasure Imperial Crown Prince of the divine kingdom established by the Celestial Humans. This woman is called Xiwana. She was once saved by the imperial prince, then devoted herself wholeheartedly to the Dao and cultivated the true body of a dragon maiden."

"This Prince Jia Wen can safeguard a household's peace. Escort agencies raising their banners, people building homes or breaking ground to dig foundations—they can all come worship him. See his golden helmet and golden armor? He also has abundant wealth fortune, so praying to him for riches is not wrong either. As for Dragon Maiden Xiwana, that needs no explanation—she can summon wind and rain. Add one stroke here, and the painting spirit will be complete."

It was Liu Laodao's first time hearing of these two honored gods. He did not even dare breathe too loudly. He merely accepted the brush, focused his mind and held his breath, summoned the tiny bit of spiritual power he possessed, and placed that stroke upon the spear of the Great Accomplished Supreme, Most Sacred, Mysterious Spiritual Treasure Imperial Crown Prince Jia Wen.

At once, he felt the painting tremble slightly. An incomparably mysterious current of spiritual power extended toward some unknown distant place.

Liu Laodao was startled. First, he had thought Li Yunxin was merely using this painting to make up the numbers, that he had some other purpose in truth. Who could have imagined that after the eyes were finished, he would discover a true flow of spiritual power in the painting—connected to some existence. And so tightly, so firmly... If these two honored gods truly resided in the Nine Heavens, what sort of divine power must they possess? Li Yunxin had actually invited them here!

Second... he could actually sense everything that had just astonished him!