Dawn had just begun to break. The trees among the mountains had shed all their leaves, now coated in glittering morning frost. Li Tongya had returned to Mount Lijing. Thanks to the extraordinary resilience granted by the Vast Ocean Leviathan Register, the true essence within his body was completely restored in the span of a few breaths.
Having regulated his breathing, Li Tongya closed his eyes and sensed his condition. It had been a year since he broke through to the sixth layer of Qi Refinement, yet his cultivation had progressed sluggishly, showing little improvement even now.
"These three late layers of Qi Refinement place particular emphasis on accumulation. They cannot be breached in short order; I'm afraid another five or six years of effort will be needed."
As he was thinking this, the array runes on the Sun Dial Profound Light Formation suddenly lit up. Li Tongya's expression turned solemn as a resonant voice came from outside the array.
"Ding Xiding of the Xunlin Plain's Ding family comes to pay a visit! May Brother Tongya please show himself so we might meet!"
Li Tongya's brow twitched. Looking up, he saw an old man with thick eyebrows and rugged features standing outside the array, carrying a staff in his hand as he closely inspected the Sun Dial Profound Light Formation below. Gauging his cultivation, he was actually a cultivator at the peak of Qi Refinement.
'To keep both the Yu family and my Li family in check, the An family brought in a family from the Xunlin Plain to occupy Mount Tiaoyun—which turns out to be this Ding family. Courteous of them, coming to visit just after taking Mount Tiaoyun.'
With a stir of his spiritual sense, the grand array opened a small aperture. Li Tongya cupped his hands and spoke politely:
"Li Tongya of the Lijing Li family greets Senior!"
"Ah! I dare not, I dare not."
Ding Xiding waved his hand and set foot on Mount Lijing. Looking at Li Tongya, he offered his congratulations:
"I have long heard the illustrious name of Sword Immortal Qingsui. This mountain is blessed as well, to be able to nurture such a sword immortal!"
Ding Xiding was clever enough to know that praising Mount Lijing as an immortal mountain or blessed ground would sound too disingenuous, so he bluntly changed his tune and cupped his hands:
"Congratulations to Brother Tongya on expanding eastward and gaining an immortal mountain, stepping out from the peril of this mountain corner."
Li Tongya chuckled softly and replied,
"The Ding family has also newly gained territory. Congratulations to us both! Please, come inside so we may speak!"
The two families had only just finished carving up the Lu family's lands. The Li family had ties of marriage with the Lu family and had at least granted those on Mount Huaqian a chance to live, whereas the Lu clansmen beneath Mount Tiaoyun, whether direct lineage or branch, near or distant kin, had all been slaughtered clean by the Ding family. The blades of their troops were still wet with blood.
Ding Xiding entered the courtyard and laughed heartily. Seeking to establish closer ties, he remarked,
"Brother Tongya might not know, but my Ding family has been bound by marriage and friendship with the Yuan family for generations. And a daughter of this Yuan family cultivates on Qingsui Peak; by generation rank, she is Senior Sword Immortal's senior sister."
"To think there was such a connection!"
Li Tongya played along verbally, but scoffed inwardly, musing with a covert smile:
'What good is generations of marriage and friendship? Weren't the An and Lu families bound by generations of marriage and friendship as well? The moment Lu Sisi died, they led troops to seize Mount Tiaoyun, and now they wield the butcher's blade without the slightest regard for old affection. Marriage ties and friendship are nothing compared to shared interests.'
Ding Xiding nodded slightly, feeling helpless inside. His Ding family had not seen a single shift in their territory for over two hundred years; the Yuan family merely treated the Ding family like hounds guarding the entrance to Xunlin Plain. Now that they had finally escaped their predicament and gained a mountain, who would have thought that right outside their doors would sit a sword immortal clan and Foundation Establishment aristocratic families? It truly left one exasperated.
On his end, a thought stirred in Li Tongya's mind, and he gave a wry smile:
"Senior entered and took charge of this mountain from Xunlin Plain, but you will inevitably have to report to the Yu family. You must still go to Milin Commandery to present gifts, or else you will be targeted by them!"
Ding Xiding's expression instantly changed. Setting down his teacup, he said in shock,
"There is such a thing?! Is this Yu family so tyrannical?"
"The Yu family's territory is vast. Yu Xiaogui of early Foundation Establishment and White Jade Hand Yu Yufeng of late Foundation Establishment are neither of them ordinary figures, and talents emerge from their younger generation in endless waves. The lake has long since been dominated by their house alone!"
Li Tongya poured out bitter grievances, putting on an appearance of deep resentment and suffering. Ding Xiding looked on, shaken to the core, and asked repeatedly,
"Your Li family is renowned for its sword immortal, yet even you suffer their intimidation?"
"Though my Li family stays out of it, we are truly terrified as well!"
Li Tongya also put down his teacup and murmured,
"Senior, if you had such a family next to you, how could you not think for your descendants? The Yu family's edge is far too sharp!"
Ding Xiding immediately found it reasonable and nodded repeatedly, gritting his teeth in private contemplation:
'I was still somewhat doubtful of what the An family told me, but to think even the Li family fears this Yu family by three parts. It seems if we want to carve out a career by this lake, we must stir up trouble for the Yu family!'
Right then, he began pondering how to contact some Foundation Establishment cultivator friends and external aid from the Yuan family to deal the Yu family a blow. Seeing him lost in thought, Li Tongya smiled faintly and did not disturb him. Only after dozens of breaths had passed did Ding Xiding snap back to attention, look up, and apologize:
"I was lost in thought; may Brother Tongya pardon my rudeness!"
"No matter."
The two chatted for a few more sentences before Ding Xiding took his leave. Li Tongya watched him depart into the distance, then sat back down in the main seat. Gazing at the map of Lake Wangyue on the table, he brushed his fingers over the corner marking Mount Huaqian and murmured:
"Having secured this ground, my Li family can enjoy another thirty years of peaceful development. Fight amongst yourselves for now..."
Having said that, he smiled slightly, only to hear the courtyard gate creak softly. Li Xuanling strode inside, respectfully walked before him, and cupped his hands:
"Father."
"How goes it?" Li Tongya asked softly, his gaze lingering on the map.
"It is regarding... the matter of the talisman seeds!"
Li Xuanling softly reiterated his earlier thoughts. When he spoke of strife between brothers, Li Xuanling clearly saw his father Li Tongya pause slightly. Only after Li Xuanling finished and a dozen breaths had passed did Li Tongya nod and say in a deep voice:
"You consider things well. This must indeed be approached with caution."
Having spoken, he looked up at him and said with approval:
"You have seen the core of this matter accurately. Well done! But this alone is not enough. Have you thought of a solution?"
Li Xuanling pondered for several breaths, then answered:
"In my view, the best way would be to divide the talisman seeds equally among the four branches so that every branch receives one. Unfortunately, there are not enough talisman seeds, so we can only plant the talisman seeds by choosing the best. Once the eldest sons and the spirit aperture children of each branch come of age, we can compare them to select the masters for these remaining two talisman seeds..."
After hearing Li Xuanling out, Li Tongya shook his head slightly and spoke:
"You are still young after all, and your foresight does not reach far enough. Even if every generation had an ample supply of talisman seeds, they must never be divided equally among the four branches. Doing so would only cause the four branches to drift further apart, gradually breeding estrangement, and might even lead the branch in charge of affairs to oppress the others and snatch their talisman seeds.
"In managing a family, what one must fear most is drawing lines too cleanly. The four branches must be forged into an indivisible whole. From each generation, choose one prodigy to be bestowed a talisman seed, and bestow only one each generation. If you confer both of them now, when the Xiyue generation comes into the world twenty years from now and an extraordinary genius emerges, where will you find a talisman seed for them?"
Having said this, he waved his hand gently. Li Xuanling nodded repeatedly and said respectfully,
"Your son has been enlightened!"
Li Xuanling pondered for several breaths, then asked in some confusion:
"Then how are we to determine this prodigy?"
Hearing this, Li Tongya chuckled softly and whispered:
"Is that not simple? Blindfold all of them, block their sight and hearing, and have them all kneel together before the magical mirror. Whomever the talisman seed is bestowed upon—that one shall be the prodigy!"
Chapter 146