The Three Poisons of Greed, Wrath, and Delusion Came Knocking; Love, Hate, Desire, and Loathing Were Hard to Dispel (Part 2)

"False Core?"

Heng Hua held the Immobilization Technique in his fingers and instantly understood. "He hadn't formed a Golden Core, yet he possessed Golden Core power. Had he formed a False Core ahead of time? Had he found Infant-Transforming Water?"

Once a False Core formed, the Yin Spirit became locked within the Origin Core, leaving no hope of ever nurturing an infant soul again.

Yet Divine Continent was vast, and its treasures of heaven and earth emerged one after another. Two thousand years after the False Core method appeared in Divine Continent, someone devised a countermeasure.

Since the Yin Spirit was trapped inside the Origin Core, with no possibility of further advancement, one could dissolve the Origin Core, fall back to the Foundation Establishment stage, and then form a core anew.

The secret medicine that dissolved an Origin Core was Infant-Transforming Water.

Infant-Transforming Water was a peculiar spiritual water nurtured by the earth's spiritual veins. Its original purpose was to accelerate a Golden Core cultivator's process of nurturing an infant soul Nascent Soul.

Yet all things under heaven had both benefit and harm. A divine medicine that accelerated an Origin Core's transformation could likewise damage it, even destroy it.

"Something as legendary as Infant-Transforming Water—not to mention this old man, no cultivator in the entire Golden Direction Water Region has ever seen it."

Since the submergence of the continents, no cultivator had seen that thing again.

The spirit vessel swayed amid the howling wind. Zhou Xiao spoke swiftly, "He borrowed from the False Core method, using Metallurgy Daoist's Five-Metal Core Fusion Technique together with Alchemy Master Jinshi's lead-and-mercury external core method. He nurtured a Primordial Copper Dao Core inside a bronze cauldron. So long as he held that cauldron, he could borrow Golden Core dharma power."

Heng Hua recalled Li Nanxing's spellwork from moments ago.

Indeed, whether shattering his mirage illusion or using a massive hand of primordial energy to hurl the spirit vessel into the air, Li Nanxing had relied on that cauldron.

Innate primordial copper qi—such high-purity copper essence could be used to make...

A hazy plan took shape in Heng Hua's mind.

"We're going down! Be careful!"

The spirit vessel had been flung dozens of miles away, and the Immovable Reef was drawing ever nearer. Fu Xiangfeng shouted, "I'll try to alter our course with sword arts. Little Brother Fu, go with Senior to the ship next door. I'll dismantle the spirit vessel—"

"Third Brother, wait—" Through the gale, Heng Hua shouted to Zhou Xiao, "Senior, if I use the Death-Calling Golden Needle Technique, how many moves can you use?"

"Three. After three moves, my meridians will all rupture and I will perish at once." Zhou Xiao said gravely, "Later, activate my dharma power for me. I'll settle my grudge with him, and you'll take Martial Nephew Xuanxing and leave."

"Three strands of Golden Core dharma power still can't take him down?"

Leaning against the rail, Zhou Xiao said with difficulty, "That bastard devised the False Core art solely to oppose me. Relying on that bronze cauldron, he can duel me for a thousand exchanges without defeat."

How could three moves possibly be enough?

If he could suppress Li Nanxing so easily, why would he have allowed himself to be hounded by him for hundreds of years?

"What if he doesn't have that cauldron?"

"How could that be? That cauldron is a magic treasure left behind by an ancient immortal estate. He blood-refined it with a secret art; it is no different from his own flesh and blood."

"Blood refinement? Then that makes things easier. No wonder I sensed a dense, pure metallic qi inside him. He has been steeped in primordial copper qi and is nearly becoming 'metalized' himself."

After calculating for a moment, Heng Hua said, "I have a way to take that cauldron away. Without it, he is merely a Foundation Establishment Perfection cultivator. Then I'll need Senior to take him down in one move."

"That can be done."

Against a Foundation Establishment Perfection Li Nanxing, he would have much greater confidence.

But how was he supposed to take away that Primordial Copper Divine Cauldron?

"Do you have a Primordial Magnetism Bead, a Two-Aspects Hammer, or perhaps a Treasure-Seizing Horsetail Whisk on you?"

Heng Hua could not help rolling his eyes. "How could I possess ancient exotic treasures like those?"

"Then... the Black Baleful Spirit-Locking Art? The Thousand-Feather Treasure-Seizing Art?"

"How much dharma power do I even have? Even if I knew those arts, I couldn't seize control of it."

"Then your method is—"

"Are you done talking? We're about to crash!"

The spirit vessel was about to strike the Immovable Reef.

Fu Xiangfeng gritted his teeth. "Forget it. I'll dismantle the ship."

"No, it has already arrived."

The Jade Crab leaped out from the cabin, clamped a casket in its pincers, and tossed it to Heng Hua.

Heng Hua caught the casket, and the Immobilization Technique immediately lifted.

As the ship tilted, he was about to slide off. Fu Xuanxing reacted swiftly and grabbed Heng Hua by the collar.

"Thanks."

Heng Hua took a glittering golden object from the casket.

"A Coiled Dragon Token?"

At the sight of the long token, Fu Xiangfeng was stunned.

For a moment, he even forgot to act to stop the spirit vessel's fall.

At last, he understood what the wooden box Aunt Deng Lan had given Heng Hua before departure truly contained.

"Grandfather actually passed the Presentation Casket to Little Six?"

"Third Brother, accelerate with everything you have. Don't hit it. Leave Li Nanxing to me."

Heng Hua lifted the Presentation Casket and hurled the Golden Slip and Jade Spike in his hand into the sky.

"Senior Li, catch the name card of my Coiling Dragon Island!"

The token-spike left his hand and instantly transformed into a golden dragon that shot into the clouds. Its resounding roar echoed through the azure heavens. Every trace of primordial copper qi clinging to the spirit vessel was swept away.

Behind them, Li Nanxing controlled the spirit vessel's speed. He had originally intended only to frighten the Fu brothers. Just before they struck the Immovable Reef, he would pull the vessel away, thereby teaching them a lesson and making them withdraw quickly rather than continue entangling themselves with the Fu Family.

However—

The golden dragon pounced, and Li Nanxing hurriedly raised the bronze cauldron.

"Break!"

Primordial copper qi surged forth in torrents, likewise taking the form of a crimson dragon to meet the golden dragon.

"Hmph—A dragon?"

The golden dragon glared in fury, and a wave of divine consciousness erupted in the air.

The primordial copper crimson dragon was torn apart by the golden dragon the instant they clashed.

"This is—the sword of a Golden Core cultivator—"

Seized by the sword intent, Li Nanxing's dharma power stalled, and he plunged directly into the water.

Clang—Bang—Boom—

Just as the spirit vessel was about to crash into the Immovable Reef, Hengshou and Fu Xiangfeng joined forces to overturn it. The violent wind and towering waves swept the vessel up and set it back upon the water.

After spinning several times, the spirit vessel drifted safely onward, while the cocoon of light around it slowly shattered.

Heng Hua let out a breath and watched Li Nanxing fall into the water while holding the Presentation Casket.

"Hengshou, sail on. We're leaving first."

Zhou Xiao released his death grip on the upper edge of the rail, feeling as though he had survived a great calamity. "Golden Slip and Jade Spike. Something belonging to Fu the Dragon Sword Immortal?"

Fu Xuanxing walked over to support him and asked softly, "Martial Uncle, what is the Golden Slip and Jade Spike?"

"A presentation card used by cultivation lineages."

Zhou Xiao explained in a low voice, "The cultivation lineages of the Dragonreach Waters revered rites and protocol. They had a custom of presenting name cards. When exchanging greetings, they brought out their lineage's identity card. It could establish connections and serve as a deterrent. It's just that..."

"It's just that you didn't expect me to be carrying Grandfather's name card?"

Heng Hua sat cross-legged in the center, gasping for breath several times.

Zhou Xiao silently nodded.

Ordinarily, when disciples of cultivation lineages encountered others outside and presented name cards, they used cards introducing their own identities. At most, they would state that they came from beneath a certain Golden Core cultivator or that their ancestors had produced some eminent figure.

To leave home carrying an elder's name card meant that elder had tacitly allowed you to travel under his name. If trouble arose, he would bear it for you.

It would be one thing if it were his birth parents. But a paternal grandfather was still a generation removed. For him to carry his grandfather's name card, this young friend was clearly greatly favored within the Fu Family.

The waters surged violently when a streak of primordial copper qi suddenly shot forth. Li Nanxing burst from the water in a bedraggled state and flew into the air.

He found an Immovable Reef to rest upon and looked at the Golden Slip and Jade Spike in his hand.

It was a jade-inlaid golden token, seven inches long, with a lifelike coiled dragon carved on its front. The back bore no words, only an intaglio landscape.

"Coiling Dragon Island. Coiled Dragon Token."

Li Nanxing thought of something and pressed his hand against the dragon pearl on the golden dragon's front.

Crack—

The token shifted apart, revealing a thin jade page sandwiched inside. Upon it was written: "Fu Family Baihuang Hall, Fu Danwei of Coiling Dragon Island."

"It truly is something belonging to Fu the Dragon Sword Immortal."

Li Nanxing's expression shifted.

He had heard of the rules in the Dragonreach Waters.

A name card was a calling card that symbolized one's identity.

Accepting this name card was equivalent to forging karmic ties with a Golden Core cultivator.

Under normal circumstances, one had to exchange it for a name card of equal standing.

But Li Nanxing knew his own measure. Not to mention that he had merely taken a shortcut to borrow Golden Core dharma power—even if he were a true Golden Core cultivator, he would not dare stand on equal footing with Fu the Dragon Sword Immortal.

That was a figure who had ascended the Heavenly Spirit Rankings three times.

The Donglai Golden Ranking gathered the spiritual opportunities of cultivators across the world. Based on a cultivator's spiritual fortune and the strength of their dharma power, it displayed their names upon the ranking.

The Heavenly Spirit Rankings referred to the hundred strongest Golden Core grand cultivators whose spiritual opportunities manifested among the thirteen water regions.

"As I am now, I cannot afford to return this name card."

And if name cards could not be exchanged, then the Golden Slip and Jade Spike carried another meaning.

Kid, you can't beat me, so give me some face and spare my junior for now. Otherwise, I'll come back and kill you.

For those of equal standing, exchanging name cards built ties and made it easier for the two families to foster goodwill.

But when presented to someone of lower standing than the card's owner, it was a warning and a threat. Of course, accepting the name card also brought benefits. When traveling through the Dragonreach Waters, displaying it made one the Fu Family's guest, and every Fu Family island would offer a warm welcome.

But—

His Dao enemy was right before him, and he was supposed to accept this name card and let him go?

How could that be possible!

Li Nanxing's gaze turned icy as he stared at the group fleeing in the distance.

"Um... Martial Uncle, Li Nanxing is your mortal enemy. Will he accept the name card and let us leave?"

"No."

"Then... then wasn't giving him that name card for nothing?"

The youth looked at Zhou Xiao, then at Fu Henghua in the distance.

Fu Henghua smiled. "According to the customs of our Yanlong. If he refuses to accept the name card and wishes to continue pursuing us, he only needs to return the Golden Slip and Jade Spike to me when he catches up."

"Isn't that dangerous?"

Fu Xuanxing leaped onto the mast and hurriedly looked behind them.

"Don't worry. He won't be able to move for a while."

Fu Xiangfeng took a deep breath and suppressed the faint discomfort in his heart. "Grandfather's Coiled Dragon Token contains a portion of his life-bound core essence. Even with a False Core aiding Senior Li, he cannot move freely."

Li Nanxing's Dao heart was firm. Before setting out this time, he had even sworn an oath: unless he attained Golden Core, he would never return.

Even under the threat of a Golden Core cultivator's name card, he still chose to continue the pursuit.

Yet the moment he rose, the Coiled Dragon Token transformed into a golden dragon that wrapped around his arm.

Like a mountain range pressing down upon his head, it forced him to sit again.

Li Nanxing refused to believe it. He urged the Primordial Copper Divine Cauldron and attempted to tear the golden dragon from his body.

The golden dragon did not budge in the slightest and kept hissing at him.

"Fine, fine... worthy indeed of the legendary Sword Immortal."

Li Nanxing tried for a long while but could not shift the Coiled Dragon Token.

But that did not prevent him from casting spells.

A massive hand of primordial energy extended from the bronze cauldron and directly dragged the group of cultivators pursuing from behind before him.

"Go find them. Use the Primordial Copper Beads to lock onto their location. I will come meet you afterward."

Li Nanxing naturally looked down on this group of cultivators hoping to pick up scraps.

If Zhou Xiao had not fought three consecutive battles in the Flame Waters and ultimately shattered his Golden Core, how would these minor Foundation Establishment cultivators dare follow him all the way, hoping to claim a reward with Zhou Xiao?

The bronze cauldron sent out Primordial Copper Beads one after another, which landed in the cultivators' hands.

The cultivators looked at one another, and none dared set out.

Li Nanxing softened his tone. "I seek Zhou Xiao only to kill my Dao enemy and achieve the great Dao Golden Core. I disdain the Mysterious Subtle Sect's reward. When the time comes, take Zhou Xiao's corpse and claim it. He died by my hand, so the Mysterious Subtle Sect will not blame you."

The cultivators exchanged glances, then hurriedly said, "Many thanks, Senior."

In groups of twos and threes, some rode the wind, some climbed clouds, and some controlled magic treasures as they departed.

Watching their retreating figures, Li Nanxing thought to himself, With them holding Zhou Xiao's group back, they should be able to delay them. Once I resolve this token, I'll go find them.

More strands of primordial copper essence flew from the bronze cauldron, slowly winding around the golden dragon and tugging at it bit by bit, beginning from its tail.

"With that cauldron helping him, the Coiled Dragon Token can probably trap him for one day. By tomorrow, we must reach Earthflame Island. Once we arrive, I have a way to take that cauldron away. Then Senior can take him down in one move."

Upon hearing this, Hengshou said nothing further. He directly changed course and sailed toward Earthflame Island.

"But before that, he will send those cultivators to harass us and interfere with our preparations," Zhou Xiao said. "Those people must be dealt with as early as possible."

"So," Heng Hua said, looking at the sky, "before nightfall, we must first deal with this entire group."

One update first. I have matters to attend to today, so I'll make up the other update at eight tonight.

Supplementary entry:

Canglan Travelogue: In the middle of the third month of the 853rd year of the Tianyi Calendar, after rain came clear skies. We traveled to Earthflame Island. This island was a remnant of Divine Continent's Cloudflame Mountains, not a rootless island.

Beneath the volcano lay passages leading underground, where the flames of the earth's lungs burned. Yet the earthfire was turbid and could not be used for refining artifacts.

The island contained Fire Baleful Intent; prolonged residence caused fire poison. There was also a loach privately called the "Dragon Racer." Its flesh was delicious and of the finest quality, able to relieve fire poison.