The Elders Emerge from Seclusion

"Xiu'er!" The newcomer wore a triumphant smile across his brow and eyes. Who else could it be but Li Xuanxuan? Having broken through to Qi Refinement and become the Li family's fourth Qi Refinement cultivator, blessed with two centuries of lifespan, he could now ride the wind on qi and roam between heaven and earth. He was naturally riding high on success, and even his face looked several years younger. "Father has emerged from seclusion!" Li Yuanxiu stepped down in pleasant surprise, only to see his father flick his sleeves and say with no small amount of pride: "Your father swallowed the Dongquan limpid qi and cultivated the Dongquan true essence. Full of enduring vitality, it is well suited for regulating qi and drawing talismans. I am now a Qi Refinement cultivator!" "And not just me—your grand-uncle has also broken through seclusion. With the help of the talisman pill, he has reached the ninth layer of Qi Refinement." "Splendid!" Li Yuanxiu nodded repeatedly. He saw Li Xuanxuan turn his palm up to reveal a streak of dark-blue true essence, which indeed carried a serene, lively aura. Li Yuanxiu cast an envious glance at it, then cupped his hands and said earnestly, "Now that Father has returned, the duty of managing the household naturally belongs back in your hands." With that, he stepped back, lifted his robes, and bowed, signifying that he was returning the reins of management to Li Xuanxuan. It would have been fine had he not brought this up, but hearing those words left Li Xuanxuan thoroughly embarrassed. He had managed the household for over a decade and done quite well. Before entering seclusion, he had wondered whether Li Yuanxiu could keep the situation in hand. Who could have imagined that the moment he emerged, he would hear Li Xuanling singing endless praises? Looking around, the family was far more orderly and disciplined than before his seclusion. Several clan elders had even shaken their heads and sighed when they saw him, leaving him not knowing whether to laugh or cry. "Xiu'er, you flatter and shame your father!" Li Xuanxuan shook his head and said seriously, "Now that I have attained Qi Refinement, I naturally must cultivate diligently in seclusion, devote more effort to the dao of talismans, and add to the family's foundation. How could one who has attained Qi Refinement cling stubbornly to worldly authority? Perhaps a century from now, when our Li family flourishes and Foundation Establishment or Purple Palace cultivators stand as patriarchs and ancestors while Qi Refinement cultivators emerge in abundance, only then will a Qi Refinement cultivator manage the household. For now, you should continue managing it! "Besides, Xuanling has already told me of your achievements in running the clan these past few years. Hearing it filled me with immense pride, which is why I came down the mountain straightaway to see you!" Li Yuanxiu chuckled. He had only been observing proper courtesy anyway, knowing full well in his heart that Li Xuanxuan would never take back the authority. He said in a low voice, "During Father's seclusion, unrest broke out among the Shanyue. The royal heir Shamoli fled east, and is currently in seclusion attempting to break through to Qi Refinement..." He laid out the arrangements made against the Shanyue over the past years one by one. Although Li Xuanxuan had already heard it once from Li Xuanling, he listened patiently until Li Yuanxiu finished before remarking, "What Shamoli consumed was impure qi, which is far easier than pure heaven-and-earth spirit qi. A year has passed by now, so he is likely about to emerge from seclusion as well." Father and son sat at the head of the hall and dismissed the clan soldiers and servants. Li Yuanxiu explained his measures for dealing with the clan's various conflicts in detail. Li Xuanxuan nodded repeatedly, full of praise, and said with a chuckle under his breath, "Xuanling said you were a cut above the rest of us; it seems he was sparing my pride. You are far more than just a cut above!" This overwhelmed Li Yuanxiu, who hurried to deflect the praise and apologize modestly. Father and son chatted cheerfully until dusk and shared the evening meal together before Li Xuanxuan finally returned up the mountain. *** Li Tongya stepped out of his cave dwelling, his true essence gleaming brilliantly. His cultivation at the ninth layer of Qi Refinement placed him among the very best across Lake Wangyue; aside from a handful of Foundation Establishment cultivators, none could match him. Yet he felt little joy, and was even faintly troubled. *My cultivation speed is mediocre after all. Even with that precious talisman pill, it took me three whole years to break through. Sixty is already knocking at the door, and there is no way I will make it in time!* Feeling somewhat restless, Li Tongya slowly exhaled. Looking at Li Xuanxuan's empty stone chamber, he finally felt a touch of relief and mused to himself: *Fortunately, Xuan'er has successfully broken through to Qi Refinement, giving our family yet another Qi Refinement cultivator. His cultivation method is better suited for talisman drawing than mine, which adds a legacy to our family...* Li Tongya's talisman techniques originated from the *Lingzhong Talisman Art* brought back by Li Chijing. It contained the crafting methods for twelve Embryonic Breathing realm spell talismans and three Qi Refinement realm spell talismans, though none were profound, being merely standard arts. Li Tongya truly lacked talent in this field. Over the course of more than a decade, he had only managed to learn those Embryonic Breathing talismans; to this day, he had never succeeded once with a Qi Refinement talisman. He had simply abandoned the craft to focus on practicing sword techniques. Li Xuanxuan was far more gifted than him, and his cultivation method was suited for drawing talismans, so the family's talisman path had been handed over to him. Recalling how he had persevered for over a decade despite his blunt aptitude in talismans just to generate income for the family, Li Tongya was suddenly jolted by a realization. Drawing parallels, he understood that his current cultivation mindset was deeply flawed. *I was so fixated on rushing to break through to Foundation Establishment before sixty that, caught up in the obsession, I overlooked how such eagerness for quick success is the greatest taboo in cultivation! Fortunately, my decades of cultivation provided a deep foundation to steady my footing, along with the boost of the talisman pill. Otherwise, getting trapped at the eighth layer of Qi Refinement for a decade or two would have been entirely expected... and that would have ruined everything!* Filled with great relief, Li Tongya cast aside his obsession with breaking through to Foundation Establishment before sixty, counseling himself: *If I accumulate cultivation step by step, passing sixty will not matter much. Look at how much I have experienced along the path of cultivation. If I fail to reach Foundation Establishment, so be it. Once a peasant boy from the fields, I now soar between heaven and earth, roaming freely with my sword—does heaven and earth owe me anything more?* Li Tongya exhaled a long breath of turbid qi. Along his path of cultivation, he had relied entirely on personal effort, with neither master nor guidance. That he could pull himself back in time when straying off course was solely due to his caution, vigilance, and constant self-reflection. After regulating his breathing in the cave dwelling's main hall for a while, Li Tongya saw his only son, Li Xuanling, approach. Now a vigorous young man, he said respectfully, "Congratulations to Father on emerging from seclusion!" "Mhm." Li Tongya nodded. Glancing lightly over him, he smiled and said, "You have also broken through to the sixth layer of Embryonic Breathing. After accumulating for a few years, you will be ready to break through to Qi Refinement." "Yes." Li Xuanling sat upright beside his father. After weighing his words for a moment, he said softly, "Father, Qinghong is fond of spear arts, but our clan has no masters of the spear. I was thinking of finding a good teacher for her..." "Spear arts..." Li Tongya raised an eyebrow at the mention, suddenly recalling that lightning-flickering Foundation Establishment rank spear inside his storage bag. His heart stirred. After pondering for several breaths, he remembered the brocade-robed man, Fei Wangbai, from when the Yu family had hosted the various clans; he too was renowned for his spear techniques. Li Tongya answered: "I have heard that someone from the Fei family of the north shore excels in spear arts and ranks among the very best on the lake. The Fei family head once invited me to visit his home. We might as well take this opportunity to bring the matter up and foster goodwill between our two families." "That would be wonderful!" Li Xuanling was overjoyed. Fei Wangbai of the Fei family was, after all, of Foundation Establishment cultivation. Although he had only broken through in recent years, he was still a genuine Foundation Establishment immortal cultivator. If she could receive his guidance, even if the Fei family wouldn't pass down their prized, secret arts, it would still far surpass learning from any Qi Refinement cultivator. *** In a secret chamber in Lijing Town. Shamoli formed hand seals while cradling a small jade flask. Wisps of pale-purple air flowed in and out through his nostrils, pulsing in rhythm with his breath. After rising and falling through exactly eighty-one cycles, it finally faded and vanished. Shamoli snapped his eyes open, a faint trace of purple lightning flashing within, though it was somewhat impure and seemed half a beat sluggish. An ecstatic expression crossed his face. Clenching his hands, a burst of lightning-flickering dharmic power began circulating between his palms. "The Purple Lightning Secret Origin Method! Secret lightning true essence... It is truly overbearing and mighty. A single strike from this thunder could gravely injure ordinary Embryonic Breathing cultivators. No wonder everyone envies the path of thunder—it is formidable indeed." Shamoli paused and sensed the dharmic power within him. Smacking his lips, he said with a touch of regret, "Only, for some reason, the dharmic power in my body is somewhat inferior to what the text described for ordinary cultivators. It seems suited only for swift, decisive combat, and cannot sustain prolonged battle." Springing to his feet, Shamoli pushed open the stone door with a palm and looked out toward the courtyard. The sunlight spilled down gently, warm and comfortable—just like the throne and the life awaiting him.