For the sixth time, Li Changhu jolted awake from deep meditation. Gritting his teeth, he crossed his legs again to steady his turbulent mind.
"It's simply too difficult."
After more than three months of cultivation, he had managed to condense only a few strands of moon essence. Xiangping was already attempting to condense his Xuanjing Wheel, and Tongya had gathered over seventy strands. Only he, Li Changhu, was still lingering in the single digits.
Compared to how effortlessly his two younger brothers cultivated, even guiding spiritual energy across the Twelve-Tiered Tower was an agonizing struggle for Li Changhu. Even the talisman seed resting in his Qihai point was listless, dim and devoid of luster.
Moreover, when refining moon essence, leave alone the daytime—even on nights when the moonlight was faintly obscured, he could not sense the moon essence at all. The few strands he currently possessed had only been gathered with the aid of the magical mirror.
"Alas."
Li Changhu had come to realize that he possessed not a shred of talent for the immortal path. Whenever his turn came to borrow the magical mirror for cultivation, guilt weighed heavily on him, feeling as though he was blocking his younger brothers' path.
Jolting awake from meditation for the seventh time, Li Changhu’s expression darkened. He glanced at Li Tongya and Li Xiangping beside him, then rose quietly and walked toward the door.
In the back courtyard, Li Mutian was bent over, sharpening a long saber.
His right hand gripped the spine of the blade while the thumb and index finger of his left pinched the flat of the metal. Holding the saber steady with both hands, he ran it back and forth across the whetstone.
Steeling his resolve, Li Changhu spoke:
"Father."
"What is it?" Li Mutian asked indifferently, not looking up.
"I fear I am not cut out for cultivating immortality," Li Changhu answered, ashamed.
"So you intend to quit?" Li Mutian raised his head, staring at him coldly.
"It is not that I will not cultivate." Having already prepared his thoughts, Li Changhu explained to his father, "My talent falls far short of Tongya and Xiangping, let alone Chijing. I can barely manage to cultivate even with the mirror's aid. Rather than wasting time, it would be better for me to help Father manage the household affairs during the day and walk through the fields, so as not to arouse suspicion."
"Very well."
Li Mutian pondered for a moment. His expression softened considerably, and he shook his head, saying, "Forget about tomorrow. Go and prepare for Xiangping's wedding. Don't make it too ostentatious; just invite some relatives and keep it low-key."
"Yes." Li Changhu gave a heavy nod and hurried off toward the main courtyard.
Yet as soon as he entered the main courtyard, he saw his wife, Lady Ren, sitting there sewing clothes while chatting with Tian Yun. Female kin were not permitted into the ancestral shrine in the back courtyard, so she could only wait here.
Seeing Li Changhu emerge and sensing the couple had something to discuss, Tian Yun smiled, made an excuse, and headed back home to the Tian residence.
"What is it, Ping'er?" Seeing his wife, Li Changhu's gaze softened considerably, and he asked her gently.
"Changhu."
Ren Ping'er had poised, dignified features. A touch of joy danced in her eyes as she whispered, "I am with child."
"What?" Li Changhu was utterly stunned. The gloom and frustration weighing on his mind vanished without a trace. His face flushed slightly, and he asked in excitement, "Truly?"
"Would I lie to you about such a thing? Mother has already checked, and it is true," Ren Ping'er murmured, blushing as she chided him affectionately.
"Father! Father! Ping'er is with child!"
Li Changhu burst into joyous laughter and shouted as he rushed toward the back courtyard.
*Clang...*
The sharp sound of metal striking stone rang out as Li Mutian instantly dropped his saber and hurried into the main courtyard. With an agitated look, he demanded, "What did you say, boy?"
"Ping'er is with child!" Li Changhu beamed foolishly like a child, laughing.
"Good! Wonderful!"
Li Mutian laughed heartily. He patted the blushing Ren Ping'er on the shoulder and said loudly to Li Changhu, "I'll go fetch the physician. Look after her properly."
Li Changhu nodded repeatedly, pulled Ren Ping'er down to sit, and began fussing over her attentively.
***
In the back courtyard.
Li Xiangping formed an incantation seal and slowly woke from his meditation.
He reached out to take the wooden slips standing before him, untied the bound cloth strip, and unrolled them with a soft rustle.
Beneath the bright moonlight, several large characters at the top of the scroll stood out distinctly:
*Golden Light Technique.*
The *Taiyin Breathing and Wheel Nourishing Scripture* could neither be recited aloud nor set down in writing, but its accompanying techniques could be taught orally and transcribed. Thus, Li Tongya and the brothers had copied down the spells they had received to share among themselves.
The scroll of the *Golden Light Technique* before him was the spell Li Chijing had obtained. Li Xiangping had formed his Xuanjing Wheel several nights ago, so he had borrowed this spell to practice.
The *Golden Light Technique* was not difficult. After reading it over and studying it for two nights, Li Xiangping had grasped its core principles completely.
He flipped his left hand over, and a shimmering, radiant ray of golden light emerged from his palm.
"Golden Light Technique!"
This was an offensive spell meant for defending the Dao. Forming the seal gathered a ray of golden light of extraordinary sharpness.
This golden ray could coat a blade or sword to strike down foes, or it could be hurled from afar as a projectile, packing formidable power.
Waving his hand to dismiss the spell, Li Xiangping walked out the courtyard gate. His brothers were all cross-legged in cultivation. Finding a slab of bluestone by the entrance, he wrapped his arms around it and let out a low shout:
"Up!"
To his surprise, he lifted the bluestone with utter ease. In fact, because he had used too much force, his head jerked back, and he stumbled back several steps.
*"Upon entering Embryonic Breathing, one's lifespan extends to a hundred and twenty years. Dharmic power flows through the apertures and meridians; the body grows light and immensely strong, hearing and sight sharpen, and one can form hand seals to cast spells, setting oneself apart from ordinary mortals."*
Recalling the description from the *Taiyin Breathing and Wheel Nourishing Scripture*, Li Xiangping could not help but chuckle. Carrying the bluestone, he headed into the back courtyard.
He set the stone upright, stepped back thirty feet, and formed an incantation seal. A flash of golden light leapt from his palm, slashing straight onto the bluestone.
*Clang!—*
A shower of bright sparks flashed and vanished. A blade mark of modest depth was left on the stone's surface, and the stone was knocked back by the full width of a palm, scraping a pale friction mark across the ground.
"Fine spell!"
It turned out Li Tongya had long since awakened from his meditation. He smiled at Li Xiangping and remarked, "This spell Chijing received is remarkably practical. A few days ago, his spell sheared off part of the rockery in the back garden, and I didn't even dare tell Father."
"When it comes to cultivation, we truly cannot compare to Chijing." Li Xiangping curled his lip, repositioned the bluestone, and took stock of the dharmic power within him, estimating he could cast it four or five more times.
"Chijing entered the Xuanjing stage in under a month. Even with the aid of the magical mirror, it is still astonishing," Li Tongya said, shaking his head.
The six wheels of Embryonic Breathing were called Xuanjing, Chengming, Zhouxing, Qingyuan, Yujing, and Lingchu. Among them, the three wheels of Xuanjing, Zhouxing, and Yujing were known as the Three Barriers of Embryonic Breathing, each exceptionally arduous.
Li Chijing and the others had breached the threshold of Embryonic Breathing with ease thanks to the mirror, but for the subsequent Chengming Wheel, there were no shortcuts left. They had no choice but to diligently respire spiritual energy to condense their embryonic breaths.
"'Guiding Qi to refine essence: nine months to Xuanjing; breathing and respiring: three months to Chengming—such is deemed superior aptitude.'" Sitting beside his second brother, Li Xiangping recited the scripture's description and remarked to Li Tongya, "Relying on an external treasure, our speed to Xuanjing cannot be taken as a standard. But this three-month mark for Chengming can certainly serve as a fair measure."
"Indeed." Li Tongya nodded slightly, then lowered his voice. "Eldest Brother..."
"Eldest Brother's talent is likely even worse than ours," Li Xiangping said somewhat gloomily, gazing quietly at Mount Dali veiled beneath the night sky.
"I will adjust my breath for a few more days, and then I can attempt to condense the Xuanjing Wheel. Once I succeed, the magical mirror can be devoted entirely to Eldest Brother's cultivation," Li Tongya mused.
Li Xiangping, still looking toward Mount Dali, suddenly narrowed his eyes. He sprang to his feet and barked toward the rear mountain:
"What brazen guts, you thieves!"
Chapter 12