The Mirror Legacy

Chapter 1584: Palace Of Radiant Fire (I)

Chi Buzi...

How could Daisi not recognize him? This man's movements had only grown increasingly elusive over the years, while his divine abilities became ever more profound and his cultivation and Dao conduct rose higher and higher... Pristine Water was also one of the dominant Daos of the current age. How could he not fear him?

Back when the conflict between north and south still supported him, he had not dared utter a word of defiance before Zipei. Although his divine abilities had improved since then, Chi Buzi was no Zipei. More importantly, it was impossible to connect to the Buddhist land from within the grotto heaven. If he died here, he would truly die!

A chill instantly spread through Daisi's entire body as he thought, So he came after all... Of course he did. He's after the Golden Positions. How could he pass up an opportunity like this? But... why would he come to save Si Yuanli...

There was a reason Daisi had always been so confident, even to the point of mocking Si Yuanli with Chi Buzi's name. Whether it was the Si Family as a whole or Si Yuanli himself, their butcher blades were stained with the blood and hatred of countless members of the Chi Family...

No matter how detached Chi Buzi had become, and no matter how indifferent he was to worldly affairs, his entire clan had been exterminated. It was one thing if he chose not to seek revenge, but how could he possibly come out and protect his enemies?

Daisi could see it clearly. Even Si Yuanli himself was terrified!

"So... it's the Grand Daoist Master..."

He responded stiffly, only to see the man before him smile. The terrifying divine ability mana of [Chougui Hidden Form] spread out in an instant. This divine ability was closely tied to one's Dao conduct, and Chi Buzi's mastery had reached a horrifying level. He appeared not to move at all, yet his hand had already risen and struck Daisi across the face!

Boom!

Pristine Water light stretched endlessly through the air as Daisi's entire face fractured like shattered glazed tiles. His golden body collapsed from the clouds like a falling mountain, stirring violent storms in every direction.

Only then did the man's cold voice ring out across the sky. "You knew who I was and still just stood there watching?!"

The palm strike itself was not particularly powerful, but the man had deliberately revealed his Dao conduct of the Pristine Water Dao. Daisi's thoughts churned violently as understanding finally dawned on him, This man wants nothing to do with karma. His mind is occupied solely by his Immortal Dao!

The Maha immediately shook several streaks of white light from his sleeve and tossed them toward Chi Buzi. At the same time, he pushed his spirit wind to its limit, transforming into a streak of golden light that fled at full speed.

Chi Buzi paid him no attention whatsoever. With a casual lift of his sleeve, he collected the treasures and leisurely began inspecting them one by one. The radiant passes and brilliant light in the sky had long since vanished. Si Yuanli remained rooted to the spot, feeling as though he could barely breathe.

When the two Mahas had first besieged him, he had certainly been uneasy, but indignation outweighed fear. Li Zhouwei's appearance had greatly improved his mood, yet now he felt himself plunging back into an abyss of anxiety. All that remained in his heart was terror and cold dread.

If Chi Buzi had come for revenge... in fact, he would not even need to seek revenge deliberately. Simply passing through and entertaining the thought for a moment would be enough! This was a grotto heaven. There was not even a great void here. Although Si Yuanli had gained an advantage through his inheritance and knew the locations of the entrances and exits... could he really survive long enough to reach them?

He was not like Li Zhouwei and the others, who remained far enough away that they could leave calmly if they wished. Chi Buzi was standing right in front of him. Being this close to a Pristine Water Grand Daoist Master, who knew whether [Chougui Hidden Form] had already concealed a spirit sword, ready to plunge into his back at any moment?

For a moment, Si Yuanli found himself in an awkward position. Offering thanks felt inappropriate, yet turning around and leaving felt even less so. He could only quietly retrieve his spirit treasure and tuck it into his sleeve. Though he appeared to be standing respectfully and waiting, he was secretly prepared to act at a moment's notice. Only then did he see Chi Buzi turn back toward him.

Surprisingly, there was not the slightest trace of hatred in the eyes of this prodigy of the Chi Family. In fact, there was no negative emotion whatsoever.

His gaze was remarkably clear as he looked at Si Yuanli with a warm smile. "Yuanli... I never thought you'd attain divine ability as well!"

Si Yuanli quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Wisely avoiding any mention of matters concerning their sect, he put on a smile of his own and replied, "It's only thanks to the old Daoist Master's extraordinary methods that an ordinary man like me was able to attain divine ability."

"Good, good, good..." Chi Buzi appeared exceptionally cordial, as though the destruction of the Chi Family had nothing to do with him at all. He smiled. "You've lived up to expectations... It's a great blessing for the sect to have someone like you!"

Si Yuanli's heart pounded uneasily. He could not tell whether Chi Buzi was being sincere or mocking him. He awkwardly acknowledged the compliment, only for Chi Buzi to take a step closer and regarded him with a smile. "Yuanli, surely you haven't forgotten who I am?"

Si Yuanli froze for a moment as a chill ran down his spine. The question sounded almost identical to the one Chi Buzi had asked Daisi earlier. Even now, he found it hard to believe. Meeting the gaze of this Grand Daoist Master, the hand clutching his sleeve trembled slightly. He failed to pull anything out and could only cling to the hope that the man was joking.

He replied, "Of course..."

The smile on Chi Buzi's face widened as he said, "You knew who I was and still just stood there watching?!"

Si Yuanli's brows shot up. Only then did he realize that surging Pristine Water had already sealed off the area. No matter how unwilling he was, no matter how much resentment and anger he suppressed, he had no choice but to shake the white radiance hidden in his sleeve into the open.

Bitterness filled his heart as he thought, So this is a real disaster!

Chi Buzi casually caught the item, glanced at it, and shook his head. "You're quite greedy yourself. You refused to give even a small share to those two eminent monks. No wonder they refused to let you leave and kept dragging things out here...

"If I remember correctly... The Sima Family has people in Wanlin Heaven as well, doesn't it? I wonder which peak they cultivate on and how capable they are."

His expression remained perfectly calm as he asked the question as casually as if they were discussing the weather. "What treasure did they leave behind that's worth going to all this trouble for?"

Si Yuanli felt deeply humiliated, yet he had no choice but to lower his head. Within this grotto heaven, where the great void was cut off and dharma relics suppressed all around, the pressure exerted by a Grand Daoist Master was at an entirely different level.

He could only answer respectfully, "My ancestor, Sima Duan, once sought the Dao in Wanlin Heaven and studied under Abiding Peak. He inherited a Dao lineage there and even left behind writings of his own... Within this Resonant Sky Hall lies a spirit treasure of [Horn Wood] Dao known as [Spring Branches]... It is located here."

Chi Buzi swept a scrutinizing gaze across his face. "Oh?"

Without even bothering to inspect the radiant object in his hand, he stepped onto a stream of Pristine Water and rose into the sky, departing just as casually as he had arrived. Left behind, Si Yuanli slowly straightened his back, his expression utterly miserable.

————

Xiangchun called out, "Fellow Daoist Minghuang!"

Li Zhouwei drifted over to her on a ray of light. Xiangchun was just rising from the mountains below and guided him closer as she said softly, "The time is almost here."

Li Zhouwei, however, was still thinking about Chi Buzi, He may have completely forgotten what happened back then, but could he really have forgotten what happened in the Eastern Sea? With so many Golden Core Realm cultivators around, he's probably being cautious as well.

The Li Family naturally harbored countless suspicions about Chi Buzi. His attempt to covet the immortal artifact back then had already been alarming enough. Later, after returning to the Eastern Sea, he had spoken words so unsettling that, whether they were merely the delusions of a self-important man or the truth of the matter, they had become something that could never be discussed again. As for whether the current Chi Buzi was truly the same Chi Buzi as before... perhaps not even Chi Buzi himself knew the answer!