"Purple Firmament Thunder-Script Treasure Register"

Jia Hua had been played by Li Fuchan.

But he was not angry.

The more domineering and vicious such a man proved, the harder he was to control, the deeper his schemes and cunning, the more Jia Hua liked him—and the more patience he had for him.

Since Jia Hua intended to share his senior brother's burdens, he would not begrudge Li Fuchan a helping hand. Everything would have to be repaid in the end anyway.

Besides, this time Li Fuchan had left him plenty of room to maneuver.

Looking at the water qi on the bed, Jia Hua considered it for a while. Combined with Li Fuchan's inconceivably powerful spiritual essence and Golden Light, it soon brought the name of that ancient art to mind.

"So it was the Three Lights Purifying Tribulation Curse. No wonder his Spiritual Nature was so formidable that it could even suppress mine."

Having deduced which ancient art it was, Jia Hua breathed a sigh of relief.

This ancient art was widely circulated. Of the Twenty-Four Chan in the Buddhist Land, three had foundational scriptures modeled on the Three Lights Purifying Tribulation Curse.

Many Dao Lineages in the south also used this art as the foundation for methods that nurtured the Life Force and protected the body.

Someone cultivating this method was surely no man of distinguished lineage.

"Still, his Three Lights are truly powerful. If his cultivation realm weren't so low, a single encounter would probably leave me unable to lift my head beneath their pressure."

Ancient arts were difficult to cultivate, master, and comprehend. Broad and sweeping, they lacked the precision of modern methods, but once mastered, their wonders were unfathomable and their power boundless. The trouble was that their path had been severed.

The principles of the Life Force were a Mystery Beyond Mystery.

For all that Outer Scenery cultivators sought the "root of essence" and the "foundation of life," they only gained their first glimpse of cultivating the Life Force upon reaching the Purple Palace realm.

That was why modern methods were divided in such fine detail.

Ancient Arts, however, pursued splendor and extravagance to the utmost, and their power was naturally considerable.

"But this man looks young. How could he have cultivated the Three Lights to such a degree? Truly inconceivable."

Jia Hua set aside his questions for the moment and began considering how to win Li Fuchan over.

"He has cultivated an ancient art to this extent. An ordinary second-grade formula probably won't satisfy someone like him. It would have to be third-grade at the very least, yet I cannot lightly give away the cultivation methods of our Peaceful Way Abbey... ah, I have it."

Li Fuchan waited in the desolate mountains for three full days without going back to find Jia Hua.

He had to test whether Jia Hua possessed the means to find him.

That day, while he sat meditating in the cave, he suddenly heard the faint sound of someone expounding scripture. At first, he mistook it for mountain wind brushing his ears, but as he listened again, every word rang clear, as though someone were reciting softly beside his ear.

Li Fuchan examined himself with Illuminating Light, shining it throughout his body, but found nothing amiss.

He steadied his mind and briefly weighed the matter in light of his own interests, then understood.

"Finally."

On his overseas journey, with Treasure Light present and his capacity for the arts complete, he had witnessed many sights and read many ancient books, which had given him considerably more composure. He summoned Mirage Pavilion, twisted his fingers, and fashioned a false body from earth qi. The false body headed north, slipping quietly toward the place where the scripture was being expounded.

Before long, it entered a Cave Abode. Bright candles lit the cave, and dozens of people sat on meditation cushions, each listening intently. A ritual dais stood at the head of the gathering, with a Daoist seated upon it, his discourse so dazzling it seemed to send heavenly flowers raining down.

Using earth qi's concealing nature, Li Fuchan slipped unnoticed into the crowd and heard the Daoist proclaim:

"Between heaven and earth are Three Thunders, governing destruction, succor, passage, and transformation, collectively known as Three Qi Origin Thunder. There is also Li Thunder, the cutting edge of Three Qi. Its color is red, and whenever it moves, golden flames follow..."

At this point, the Daoist abruptly stopped. His eyes flashed like lightning as he pointed below and shouted sternly:

"Someone among you is stealing my arts!"

Everyone whipped around, their gazes converging at once. Li Fuchan showed not the slightest panic. He rose calmly from the crowd with a smile and said:

"What cutting edge of Three Qi? Could it withstand the sharpness of my Azure Sword, White Edge?"

The Daoist on the dais stared at him with darkened eyes. "What sword?"

Li Fuchan smiled, revealed half the Flying Sword tucked against his chest, and declared:

"One body holds golden fire; one cough casts forth forty-eight thousand thunders."

The Daoist on the dais laughed. "A burrowing worm."

Li Fuchan's heart jolted. He had not expected to be seen through so easily despite having applied Flying Glare. To have such an extravagant boast punctured with a single remark was rather embarrassing.

As he spoke, the Daoist sent a ray of magical light toward him, scattering Li Fuchan's false body and releasing a rank, earthy smell.

He was about to resume his discourse when another figure appeared outside the cave, clad in a black robe with broad sleeves, his eyes like brilliant stars, pure qi radiating majestically from him. He raised his voice and shouted, "You there, Daoist! I have a man-slaying sword, once held in the jaws of a flood dragon and a crow. Thunder cannot shake it, fire cannot burn through it; it was once hidden in the Jade Roaming Palace."

The Daoist was about to speak, but after some consideration, he could not help wondering, Which palace or abbey is this Jade Roaming Palace? Why have I never heard of it? Still, this was the moment to put the newcomer in his place, so he paid it little mind and asked, "Who are you?"

"I churn cloud and water to raise the wind, caress sun and moon to summon rain."

The Daoist chuckled. "A snake in the water."

As he spoke, he struck Li Fuchan's body, making him stagger, yet it did not disperse.

The Daoist asked in surprise, "Your true body?"

Seeing the pure qi enveloping Li Fuchan, he finally understood. "So it wasn't empty boasting."

Li Fuchan certainly lacked the qualifications to "churn cloud and water to raise the wind, caress sun and moon to summon rain," but his destiny was equal to the claim. Now that he had come in a false body of water qi, it naturally resonated with those words.

Destiny was a Mystery Beyond Mystery. The lowly died side by side in their stalls, while the mighty toyed with heaven and earth, reigning supreme and founding lineages. Calling him a snake in the water was no different from disparaging his destiny—something even a Purple Palace cultivator could not accomplish.

He could only admit defeat and concede, "A fine Flood Serpent."

Li Fuchan laughed heartily, and his figure underwent Transformation into water qi and vanished.

The Daoist wondered whether he would return. Before long, Li Fuchan appeared again.

A black robe with broad sleeves, a silver crown over black hair, narrow brows and eyes betraying a measure of calculation and viciousness—he looked thoroughly worldly. At last, a hint of delight appeared on the Daoist's face.

Li Fuchan wasted no words. Illuminating Light shone from between his brows, Golden Light blazed above his head, and Treasure Light swirled through his chest and abdomen as he cried, "My whole body is extraordinary; the Three Lights cannot be pinned in place. Their radiance pierces worlds great and small—what do you make of this Dao?"

The Daoist chuckled. "Fine meaning, but you are a corpse-guarding Ghost."

The Dao Lineage of the Three Lights Method had been severed. Unless he found a new path, he truly was little different from a Ghost guarding a corpse.

Li Fuchan bowed respectfully. "This junior has given much offense. Please bestow a method upon me, senior."

The Daoist chuckled. "Certainly, certainly."

When Li Fuchan opened his eyes, an ancient book had appeared in his hands. He stroked its spine, a chill seeping down his back.

"That was close."

Just now, Jia Hua had drawn him into his Outer Scenery. Fortunately, he had won the second round by a narrow margin, or he would have fallen into the trap.

Only when Outer Scenery reached the Transformation stage and began completing the "Nature-and-Fate Root" did one truly comprehend its mysteries and profound principles, gaining access to its many wonders.

However remarkable Li Fuchan's Three Lights might be, he had only gained an initial glimpse of Outer Scenery. Last time, he had extinguished two sparks of Jia Hua's spiritual essence only because he had prepared beforehand and struck first. In a direct confrontation, he had no chance of victory whatsoever.

But although Outer Scenery was wondrous, it could not draw someone inside from a hundred miles away.

"It seems Jia Hua is nearby."

Jia Hua had found him but had not killed him over their previous encounter. Clearly, he had an important use for him. That was good news for Li Fuchan.

Li Fuchan steadied his mind and lowered his gaze to the ancient book in his hands.

"Purple Firmament Thunder-Script Treasure Talisman Register."