Chapter 48: Water and Fire in Harmony

Originally, there was a small pond on the mountain top, shaped like a bent moon.

The pond water flowed down, forming a clear stream that converged behind the Ho family residence at the foot of the mountain. Lu Xingzhou's bamboo house was built beside this pond. When he exited the house at this moment, he could see a shimmering expanse of water in front of him, rippling slightly in the north wind.

"I've been pondering this while living here..." Lu Xingzhou said in a low voice. "I can basically determine that it's not this pond, or at least not only this pond... This is still a misleading illusion. The foolish Ho family has been deceived around this pond for countless years without knowing it."

Shen Tang wanted to speak but stopped.

Not to mention the Ho family, even their gaze was only attracted by the pond water, so everyone is foolish, aren't they?

"Come this way." Lu Xingzhou pushed his wheelchair to the back of the house. There was a large piece of mountain rock there, with no other features.

"The two mountains present a yin-yang embracing shape. I've surveyed the most prosperous place for earth fire in Danxia Mountain, and it indeed belongs to the yin-yang fish eye. Then the corresponding fish eye position on this side should be where the true pond is located, which is this piece of mountain rock," Lu Xingzhou said. "I tried some methods the day before yesterday and felt like I was close to something... Today is the winter solstice, perhaps it's just the right time."

Along with his words, a batch of talismans suddenly appeared in his hand. With a flick in the wind, they all stuck onto each piece of mountain rock.

The mountain rocks, without the slightest trace of smoke or fire aura, were moved away by the talismans, forming a ring shape in the surrounding empty ground.

This was the Five Ghosts Transport method.

Shen Tang was surprised to discover that these mountain rocks could actually fit together perfectly, surrounding the area tightly, as if they were meant to be like this.

Lu Xingzhou called out in a low voice, "Qing Li."

Du Gu Qing Li subconsciously responded, "Here."

"I've already set up a leading array around here. Perhaps it still lacks a lead... With your Frost Heaven Freeze Moon sword, stab downwards into the center from above. Your ice origin cold qi should be a very suitable lead."

"Clang!" The ice sword left its sheath and in an instant flew into the sky.

Du Gu Qing Li united with her sword, descending from above like an extremely cool ice sword, stabbing into the empty ground in the center of the mountain rock circle.

With a loud "boom," the ice sword furiously broke dozens of zhang below, forming a deep pit.

Cold air rose within the deep pit, and frost mist swirled around. Lu Xingzhou and A Nuo poked their heads in together, both somewhat speechless.

This little white-haired girl is so strong!

Du Gu Qing Li's sword momentum had already dissipated. Alone at the bottom of the pit, her heart stirred slightly.

The cold ice power she cultivated had an extremely strong resonance feeling at this moment. There must be a water origin spirit within the belly of this mountain, responding to her!

But it seemed to be sealed. When she tried to perceive it carefully, there was always a barrier.

Just as she hesitated, she heard Lu Xingzhou's incantation from above: "Kan position gives birth to waves, earth veins open and close, yin and yang both assist, transform qi to form... Rise!"

Du Gu Qing Li's heart tensed. Why did Lu Xingzhou's incantation feel a bit familiar? It felt like it had something in common with the holy land... He's not an evil cultivator, so where did such an orthodox and grand incantation come from?

Before she could think further, Lu Xingzhou made a "pu" sound and spat out a mouthful of blood.

This water magic formula to lead out the earth veins was overloaded for his current state. His cultivation was far insufficient.

A Nuo anxiously fed Lu Xingzhou a pill. Lu Xingzhou was just about to speak when a wave of warmth suddenly transmitted from his palm.

He turned his head to look. Shen Tang's slender hand was grasping his palm, and a vast, long stream of spiritual qi was being transmitted without reservation, actually compatible with his cultivation.

Lu Xingzhou had no time to say more. He flipped his right hand, and the magic formula rose again.

The surrounding array moved greatly, rushing straight into the cloud-filled sky.

Below, Du Gu Qing Li finally detected a slight tremor from around her. It was as if an extremely strong suction bypassed her existence, reaching straight to the bottom of Jiu You, calling the spirit spring below to rise and churn.

Du Gu Qing Li hesitated no longer. She pressed her hand on her sword formula and wiped it over the sword body: "With my sword soul as the lead, the heaven gate opens, Jiu You is pierced, breaking illusion and returning to reality... Appear!"

The two magic formulas indeed had some closeness...

"Clang!" A cold light pierced the cloud-filled sky.

Looking up, the layers of clouds in the sky gradually scattered, and the warm winter solstice sun appeared high in the sky, shining directly into this deep well.

The crowd nervously lowered their heads to look. A pool of spring water slowly overflowed from below. Du Gu Qing Li "whooshed" back to the ground and poked her head down to look. The spirit spring below rose higher and higher, gradually reaching ground level. The pre-set mountain rocks around seemed to be protecting it, precisely enclosing the spring water in the center without the slightest overflow.

Dense spiritual qi was refreshing. Having stayed in the spiritual qi-thin Xia State for a long time, coming into contact with this spring felt almost like oxygen intoxication.

Du Gu Qing Li retracted her ice sword and stared blankly.

Even though she could be considered to have personally created this, she still had a slightly unreal, dreamlike feeling.

There really was a spirit spring here, and it was really led out by everyone cooperating... She wanted to experience what it was like to be a girl who seemed to not know what she was doing, just doing whatever she was told. Was this experience effective?

"Indeed, on the day of the winter solstice, the timing of heaven assisted, and the seal was at its weakest... Water and fire both assisted, yin and yang accompanied each other, and the momentum was formed." Lu Xingzhou still had no self-satisfied expression. He quickly set up a covering spiritual qi array around the area.

Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief, leaning somewhat tiredly on his wheelchair: "I say, the sect master's residence should be moved here later. This Sun Moon Pond is full of spiritual qi and is very suitable for you."

Suitable for her to do what, bathe? Shen Tang's face was expressionless as she quietly withdrew her slender hand from his palm. She stealthily glanced at Du Gu Qing Li, wondering if the dead white-haired girl had seen it or not.

It was good that Du Gu Qing Li was in a daze, otherwise she would have been lectured again.

This spirit spring, besides being beneficial for cultivation while soaking in it, is even more important for a sect to lead the spring water to irrigate the medicine garden, and is also of great benefit for forging. At least from now on, the medicinal herbs planted in Danxia Mountain can be considered high-end... This person is so serious, and yet at this moment, he's only thinking about bathing.

Besides, you live here, so why should I move here too...

Shen Tang ultimately didn't pursue this. In fact, the changes before her eyes also shocked her greatly. She felt that the meaning of her coming to Xia State seemed about to be revealed.

With such changes in the earth veins, over time, the spiritual qi here will become more and more dense. Two ordinary mountains will suddenly become a feng shui treasure land, seeming even higher-end than where the original Tianxing Sword Sect mountain gate was located. The national teacher guided her to Xia State, and just for these things, this divination can already be considered accurate.

She asked somewhat cautiously, "Since the secret here has been solved, what do we do next?"

"Of course, we first cover up the changes here and don't let outsiders know, otherwise there will still be trouble. As for solving the secret, in fact, we've only solved half of it," Lu Xingzhou said. "This is like dropping a tenon into a complete mechanism group. Now that it's connected, the mechanism can only be activated. We still need to find the key to open the mechanism."

Shen Tang said, "Then we'll still arrange the key to open it according to what you said earlier, breaking the illusion array and gathering the spirit array. I'll go arrange this."

Du Gu Qing Li hesitated slightly: "Breaking the illusion might still be okay, but as for gathering spirit, this place temporarily doesn't have so much spiritual qi to gather, and the power is mostly insufficient... You even spat blood earlier."

Lu Xingzhou smiled slightly, turned his head to look in the direction of Danxia Mountain, and muttered to himself in a low voice: "Then we'll see if we can gather enough power on the day of the grand ceremony... I hope the hundred sects of Xia State won't disappoint someone named Lu."

Shen Tang and Du Gu Qing Li both stared blankly at Lu Xingzhou's profile, their hearts somewhat numb.

He wanted to hold a grand ceremony, and he also hid this layer of intention?

No wonder Sheng Yuan Yao said whether to hold the ceremony or not, just hold it, don't make a fuss... That melon girl was tricked by him so much, she really understood.

The two women left this mountain peak somewhat confused. It wasn't until they were almost back at Danxia Mountain that Du Gu Qing Li, who was pushing the wheelchair, suddenly said, "Before, he didn't want to use you as a fighter, but does this time count?"

Shen Tang stared blankly for a moment, then shook her head: "Since he said it clearly, it doesn't count. It can only be counted as killing multiple birds with one stone. Moreover..."

She paused, muttering to herself in a low voice: "I am willing."

.........

Time flew by in a flash.

These days, the Tianxing Sword Sect, which had absorbed sufficient manpower from the Danxia Gang, had already widely sent out heroic invitations, inviting sects from Xia State and the surrounding areas to participate in the sect opening grand ceremony on the tenth day of the tenth month.

The so-called sect opening should actually be considered "moving." The Tianxing Sword Sect originally existed, it just moved here from Yong State, thousands of li away. But now, the Tianxing Sword Sect has already undergone significant changes compared to its original state. It can even be said to be a rebirth after nirvana, so it counts as a sect opening.

Originally, this kind of matter wouldn't cause too much of a stir. Every day in the world, sects disappear and are established, and it's a common sight. If someone gives face, they come to follow the ritual and show support. If they don't, they just don't come. But with the emperor's "support," it instantly became the focus of worldly attention.

People still didn't know that Shen Tang was a princess. The forces in Xia State and the surrounding areas only felt as if they were facing a formidable enemy. They felt that the rise of such a strong force would squeeze everyone's space, break the original balance and stability, and even possibly cause oppression.

Therefore, it is difficult to say whether the emperor's "support" actually achieved the effect of support or aroused a reverse effect. After all, they said they supported it, but they didn't see any actual benefits, not even a single wen of copper coin was rewarded.

On the tenth day of the tenth month, the day of the Tianxing Sword Sect's opening ceremony, the new version of the Group Hero List had also been issued. Those who had some connection had obtained a copy early on. Regarding the name of the Tianxing Sword Sect on the list, the original one hundred thirteenth Shen Chaoqun had been removed, and in its place were two other names.

Newcomer List, thirtieth, Sect Master Shen Tang.

Vice List, Alchemy Master Newcomer List, thirty-eighth, Guest Elder Lu Xingzhou.

This was also the first time Lu Xingzhou's name had publicly appeared in the eyes of the world.

People who came to participate in the ceremony streamed up the mountain, looking at the mountain gate plaque on the mountainside, each with an expression that was hard to describe.

The top figures of this new sect, reborn after nirvana, are one literary and one martial, two newcomers, capable of fighting and healing, seemingly full of vitality, like dragons hidden in the abyss. Coupled with the fact that they now have mountains, land, and people, the weather is very good. It can almost be determined that over time, the achievements of this new sect will definitely not be inferior to the former Tianxing Sword Sect.

But a hidden dragon is still just hiding and may not necessarily withstand the wind and rain. Whether it can soar in the sky first depends on the kind of answer sheet they can hand in at today's ceremony.