The moment the blade in Li Xuanxuan's hands sank into the stag demon's head, the beast's carcass withered rapidly. Even its pair of antlers lost their dazzling luster, turning dry and pale.
Once the prayers were finished and the sacrificial rites concluded, Li Tongya, unwilling to let outsiders see the stag demon's corpse, swept his sleeve and promptly stowed it away into his storage bag.
Li Xuanfeng straightened up. Two wisps of talisman qi instantly surfaced in his mind. He paused briefly, closed his eyes to inspect them, and directed his spiritual sense into the talisman qi brimming with ferocious, baleful energy without the slightest hesitation.
Red light flared brilliantly within Li Xuanfeng's Shengyang Mansion. Stumbling back two paces as if intoxicated, he bent at the waist, his face flushed crimson. The power of his cultivation, having just broken through to the second layer of Qi Refinement, surged restlessly, forcing him to hurry down from the stone platform.
As Li Tongya and the others stepped down from the dais, the assembled townsfolk rose to their feet, and the clamor of voices swelled once more. Li Tongya looked upon the people below with a gentle smile, then turned to Li Xuanfeng.
"You seemed slightly peculiar just now. Did you receive a talisman?"
Hearing this, Li Xuanxuan and Li Xuanling looked over as well. Li Xuanfeng nodded and smiled.
"Indeed. During the sacrifice, two wisps of talisman qi suddenly manifested in my mind—one called Might of a Thousand Jun, and the other Chasing Clouds and Pursuing the Moon. I chose the former, and I have now broken through to the third layer of Qi Refinement."
With that, he explained the properties of this talisman qi, wiped his hands, set his pitch-black longbow aside, and picked up a piece of bluestone from the ground. With a flick of his finger, he shattered it to powder, sending fragments scattering across the earth.
"Pure physical might, without the slightest stir of magical power."
Li Tongya praised him, picking up the dark longbow and examining it closely. "You are now at the third layer of Qi Refinement. That bow is only an Embryonic Breathing-grade talisman artifact I brought back all those years ago—far too shabby for you now. The family has built up some savings over recent years. In a few months, make another trip to the commandery, find an artifact master, and have a custom longbow forged to match your immense strength."
Li Xuanfeng beamed with delight upon hearing this. After pondering for a few moments, however, he scratched his head awkwardly and said in a low voice, "How could I accept that? There are so many places the family needs spirit stones... Brother Xuan and Ling'er haven't broken through to Qi Refinement yet. It would be better to buy some medicinal pills for them. My matter isn't urgent; we can look into it after Brother Xuan and Ling'er achieve Qi Refinement."
Li Xuanling chuckled at his words and replied, "Brother Feng, why stand on ceremony with your own brothers? I only recently reached the fourth layer of Embryonic Breathing, and my cultivation still needs polishing. What need do I have for pills?"
Li Xuanxuan also smiled, then said earnestly, "I have already broken through to Yujing. All that remains is the gradual, grinding effort needed to reach the peak of Embryonic Breathing. You don't need to fret over us."
Li Xuanfeng grinned at their responses. Seeing the three of them like this brought great comfort to Li Tongya as well. Patting Li Xuanfeng on the shoulder, he smiled.
"It is good that you think this way. I watched all of you grow up. You were raised together on the mountain like true brothers, so let there be no estrangement between you. If something is on your mind, speak it plainly!"
Seeing Li Xuanfeng nod in touched agreement, Li Tongya continued, "The two of them are right. There is no rush for medicinal pills, but forging a talisman artifact takes considerable time. It is best to place the order first."
Li Xuanfeng could only nod. After chatting for a few more moments, the four of them entered the courtyard atop Lijing Peak and went before the magical mirror to offer their thanks.
Yet the moment they entered the courtyard, a sweep of their spiritual senses revealed three glistening white pills resting upon the stone altar. Li Xuanfeng raised an eyebrow, exchanged a glance with Li Tongya, and hurried into the stone chamber.
"Could these be... the talisman pills mentioned in the *Sacrificial Beast Method*?"
The two offered their devotions before the magical mirror before rising, carefully taking up the pills from the stone altar. Li Tongya pondered for a few moments and nodded.
"According to the *Sacrificial Beast Method* bestowed by the magical mirror, the mirror does not merely condense talisman qi. If the incense offerings are sufficient, it can also produce talisman pills. A cultivator may take only one per major realm, using it to break through bottlenecks and advance their cultivation..."
These three talisman pills were translucent and radiant, glowing with a soft white luster. Mysterious, flowing patterns were traced across their surfaces, elegant and captivating. Li Xuanfeng carefully stored them into jade bottles one by one, a wide smile on his face.
"Now we have pills to use!"
"Indeed," Li Tongya nodded, reflecting. "However, these talisman pills possess the miraculous efficacy of breaking through bottlenecks, yet only one may be taken in each major realm. Taking them now would be a waste; it would be best to wait until the peak of Qi Refinement to break through to Foundation Establishment.
"Xuanxuan and Xuanling may each take one when breaking through to Qi Refinement. There is still time. Though the remaining one is not enough for both of us, there will be plenty of opportunities for sacrifices in the future, so we need not worry about lacking them when the time comes."
Delighted, the two put away the pills. Li Tongya departed for Meichi Peak to enter seclusion, while Li Xuanfeng collected spirit stones from Li Xuanxuan and eagerly set off for Lixia Commandery.
***
Night fell over Lijing Town, and the crowds had cleared from the streets. A few dim, amber lanterns cast their light through window frames onto the paving stones. Lu Wanrong strolled along the street for a while, hearing the maid behind her remark:
"The Li family's sacrifice is truly lively. Back when we were with the Lu family, we never had festivals like this."
"There is no comparing them," Lu Wanrong said, shaking her head as she walked back. "The Li family's ancestor is in his prime, and Li Xuanxuan manages the clan in an orderly fashion. Have you ever seen a single Li family disciple dare to use their power to bully others or prey on men and women? The Lu family's ancestor hasn't involved himself with the juniors for decades, and my cousin loves indulgence, having grown proud and extravagant. As one family rises and the other falls, the Lu family has long fallen behind."
As she spoke, she reached the front of the courtyard, only to find a man pacing back and forth before the entrance, drenched in sweat. Seeing the two women, his eyes lit up, and he rushed forward. Lu Wanrong took a closer look and realized he was a younger clansman from the Lu family. Frowning, she asked:
"Cousin, why have you come here?"
The Lu family youth wore a look of terror, his face crumpled in misery as he stammered, "The Old Ancestor! The Old Ancestor has passed away!"
"What?!"
Struck as if by lightning, Lu Wanrong cried out in shock. Knowing the 'Old Ancestor' he spoke of was Lu Sisi, she shook her head repeatedly and whispered, "When did this happen?!"
"Last night! I heard it clearly from beside him. The Old Ancestor sat in his chair sighing throughout the night, muttering, 'The Lu family will perish before nightfall!' By dawn, his breath had ceased."
With a weeping face, the Lu youth looked to her as though clinging to a pillar of support, whispering, "Brother Yuanlu buried the Old Ancestor in haste and is secretly feasting and drinking on the mountain right now! During his life, the Old Ancestor told me that as soon as he died, I was to seek you out, so I ran through the night to get here! Sister Rong, what are we to do?!"
Seeing his soot-streaked face and utter exhaustion, knowing the perilous road an ordinary mortal faced in crossing Guli Road to reach the Li family, Lu Wanrong was deeply moved. Her heart filled with dread, she urgently replied:
"Wait for me to go inside and write a letter home. If this matter is not handled properly, it will bring about the ruin of our entire clan!"
Chapter 142