"Very well."
Li Qinghong had been in seclusion for a long time, so it was the perfect occasion for her to stretch her limbs and loosen her muscles. Li Yuanjiao smiled, nodded, and backed away.
A smile immediately lit up her face. Drawing her spear, she stepped forward and flicked it into a dazzling flourish, purple light rippling out. Having fought many a duel in the lake, she did not discharge any lightning; instead, she controlled the water with a few strides to close in on the catfish monster.
Lightning arts differed from sword qi. Sword qi was "sharp qi rippling forth from the nature of Metal," having little conflict with water-elemental matters, and the loss incurred when cleaving through lake water was negligible.
Lightning arts, on the other hand, belonged to "the category of lightning, fire indeed, the surging energy of yin and yang; when yang flourishes, it manifests as thunder." If unleashed beneath the water, its power would naturally fall far short of expectations.
Though lightning arts were not as potent in water as on land, that did not mean Li Qinghong was helpless against this lesser demon. Channeling the River-Crossing Torrent Steps, she thrust forward with her spear, catching the monster square in the belly.
Duruo harmed the body; against a mere demon in the mid Qi Refinement realm, there was certainly no need to employ it. Thus, the magical artifact in her hands was merely an inferior-grade Qi Refinement small spear.
*Bang!*
Li Yuanjiao felt a slight numbness across his face as a flash of brilliant white light vanished in an instant. A muffled detonation sounded, accompanied by a swarm of bubbles large and small that churned the water into a muddy murk.
The catfish demon bounded up from where it was, shivering violently. Even the spell coalescing in its mouth dissipated. It retreated unsteadily, its long barbels stiffening straight out, and let out an ear-piercing shriek:
"Awoo..."
Pressing her advantage, Li Qinghong unleashed a flurry of spear strikes that flickered with indistinct light. The shockwaves left fish and prawns within the array stiffened and floating to the surface. With its cultivation already inferior to Li Qinghong's, the catfish demon was thrown into utter disarray, turning belly-up as it fled in disgrace.
"A lightning art after all," Li Yuanjiao praised. "Such an orthodox heritage is rare south of the Jiang. Were it not for the bodily harm and shortening of lifespan, it would truly be our family's foremost offensive method."
Had the Li family not recently acquired the Golden Hall Huangyuan Formula, not a single cultivation method could have suppressed the Purple Lightning Secret Origin Method. Though the Golden Hall Huangyuan Formula was a fourth-rank method, it was vast, upright, and radiant as the sun; in terms of sheer offensive lethality, it likely could not match the lightning art that inflicted violence upon foe and self alike.
Thinking of this, Li Yuanjiao remembered another matter:
'Xicheng has made great strides these past few years. On his twenty-sixth birthday a few days ago, he just happened to break through to the fifth layer of Embryonic Breathing. But Uncle Donghe has still not returned from the vast desert to the west...'
Although Chen Donghe would be able to return in another year or two—which in theory should make it in time for Li Xicheng's Qi Refinement—Ximing, who was learning alchemy with the Xiao family, and Xijun on Meichi Peak possessed even higher aptitude, and they were already about to catch up to Li Xicheng.
'Ximing and Xijun are only fourteen or fifteen, yet they have reached the fourth layer of Embryonic Breathing. It looks like their breakthrough to Qi Refinement will take place within the next five to seven years. If the Golden Yang Huangyuan is given to Xicheng, at least one of Ximing or Xijun will not be able to wait for the qi.'
He mulled it over. With demonic disasters running rampant everywhere and news from the west arriving only sporadically, whether another portion of Golden Yang Huangyuan could be gathered in the next seven years was a major question.
'I should discuss it with Xicheng once we return.'
When he gathered his thoughts, Li Qinghong had already returned, dragging the giant catfish. The creature's body was mottled black and white, stiff and rigid with its cultivation sealed, while frothy scum drooled steadily from its wide, flat mouth.
Scorched black by lightning, the beast vomited fragments of various fish, ducks, crabs, and snakes, along with torn clothing and driftwood—likely belonging to common folk who made their living fishing on the lake.
"Mm."
Li Yuanjiao cast a glance, made a hand seal, and dispersed the cyan-blue grand array that isolated the inside from the outside. The formation plate on the ground rose slowly, spiraling into his hand.
"This Muddy Water Talisman Flow Array is indeed handy. Its concealment is exceptional; so long as the formation plate is protected, it can trap an enemy."
Stowing the formation plate, Li Yuanjiao replied, "It is indeed a handy water-attribute array. Unfortunately, it can only be rented; purchasing it outright would cost over a hundred spirit stones."
Graceful and poised, Li Qinghong curled her lips in a slight smile, chiming in idly as she held the cottage-sized catfish suspended with her magic power. Riding the wind side by side, the two ascended the mountain together.
Li Yuanping had already prepared the ritual accoutrements. Clad in a Daoist robe, he waited for them, followed by the old monkey in a Daoist robe and wooden clogs, standing with a slight bow. On the other side stood Li Ximing, who looked to have just returned to attend the family ancestral sacrifice.
Watching his elder brother and sister descend with the demon, Li Yuanping voiced his praise, drew a wooden box from his sleeve, and said in delight, "Elder Brother! The Wanling Flowers have bloomed!"
He opened the wooden box in his palm. Quietly resting inside were three slightly red spiritual blossoms, soft and delicate, no larger than a palm. Their stamens were slender, each bearing five petals that were red above and white below.
The moment the box was opened, Li Yuanping and the others let out stifled chuckles, the corners of their mouths turning upward. He explained, "This flower governs delight and joy; anyone who sees it smiles. It is exceedingly gentle as well—mortal or cultivator, so long as one has not forged an immortal foundation, one must honestly break into a smile."
Li Yuanjiao admired them for a moment, then instructed, "Package two of them separately and have Ximing deliver them to Ancestor Yuansi. Say that Ximing has troubled him for a long time, and these modest gifts express our gratitude."
Having given his orders, Li Yuanjiao also rewarded the old monkey with cultivation resources. The old monkey accepted everything without declining, nodding in acknowledgment, before Li Ximing stepped forward from behind.
"Thank you, Second Uncle!"
Li Ximing was gentle and respectful. Having cultivated in the Xiao family for two years, where Xiao Yuansi taught him without reservation, he had read many medicinal classics and gathered and identified herbs, acquiring a touch of Xiao Yuansi's scholarly elegance.
He had grown much taller now, his features fully opened up to bear a strong resemblance to Li Yuanping. Though no longer as delicate as in childhood and not particularly handsome—merely having ordinary looks—his refined disposition lent him an air of genial warmth.
Mount Xianyou was rich in spiritual energy, so his cultivation had by no means fallen behind, matching that of Li Xijun who focused solely on cultivation. Seeing a faint trace of hesitation between his brows, Li Yuanjiao spoke up, "Is there something troubling you? Speak freely."
Li Ximing paused briefly, pointed to several herb pouches at his waist, and replied, "Master Xiao bestowed upon me a set of herb pouches he once used in the past to store spiritual materials. I felt unworthy receiving them, and I fear the family must keep this in mind, incurring yet another favor."
Li Yuanjiao nodded silently. Having just given Li Qingxiao seventy spirit stones, the family was once again strapped for resources. He could only say, "Our family has no surplus means at present, save for a few magical artifacts in reserve. Do you know if Senior Yuansi has any children, and what their cultivation might be?"
Li Ximing answered with an apologetic expression, "The ancestor's children had low cultivation and died in magical combat. He does have a junior named Xiao Guixiang, but having been born into a prominent and wealthy lineage, he lacks neither magical artifacts nor spirit pills."
"Sigh!"
Li Yuanjiao gritted his teeth, quietly committing the matter to memory.
'We must not let this drag on for too long. If no good opportunity arises, we should still send a copy of the family's alchemy heritage over.'
Waving his hand, Li Yuanjiao said, "Since you have returned, let us prepare for the sacrifice!"
***
Yishan City.
Yishan City was built around Mount Lingqiu. This mountain was also a renowned, majestic peak. In near-ancient times, it was covered in flames and rich in a type of golden spiritual ore. Later, the immortal sect of that era, Nanhuo Celestial Manor, dug three feet into the earth, depleting much of the earth vein, and the flames disappeared.
In the cave abode at the mountain's highest peak, shrouded in clouds and mist with cyan qi coiling about, Real Person Yuansu stood with his hands clasped behind his back, idly turning a pale-gold jade seal in his fingers as he quietly gazed down at the grand city below.
'I don't know what kind of madness has seized Bu Zi... running all across Wu and Yue day in and day out, stubbornly refusing to return to the sect. Fortunately, the demonic crisis is going relatively smoothly...'
Real Person Yuansu was a cultivator of the same era as Chi Wei, but unfortunately, he practiced a cultivation method whose dao complement was severed, leaving him stuck year after year as an early Purple Palace Real Person. Had this divine ability of his not been a lifebound divine ability, Yuansu would not even have held his current standing.
His dao path severed and unable to bear Si Boxiu and the others, he had sought an easy, leisurely post and had himself assigned out to the Southern Border.
"Hm?"
Yuansu's hands paused. Sensing the surging golden aura beneath the mountain, he murmured, "Someone is establishing their foundation... It is Lou Jinshi."
Pinching his fingers to divine, he recalled that although the one from Tangjin Gate rarely traveled about, that person was still around, and in his recollection, that person's divine ability was not yet consummate.
"Situ Huo is also a Lou Jinshi... but that brat knows nothing of alchemy and has never nourished this Dao foundation. I fear he has missed his chance."
Yuansu chuckled with schadenfreude, picked up a jade token from the desk, and muttered, "Li Xuanfeng... How is it another member of the Li family?"
The brows and eyes of a certain youth suddenly flashed across his mind. Turning the jade token over and over in his hand, Real Person Yuansu murmured, "I do owe the Li family, after all... But who knows what this fellow thinks? Perhaps Xiao Chuting beat me to placing a piece, and not only does he harbor resentment against the Chi family, he might even resent me as well."
Real Person Yuansu slowly raised his other free hand and made a light grasping motion in the Taixu. Strands of multicolored light emerged as the divine ability within his body activated, spanning the sky and connecting to Li Xuanfeng.
Yuansu channeled his divine ability and calculated carefully.
'Mainly respect and awe... It seems Xiao Chuting did not dare to make this move... or perhaps the Li family only resents Chi Wei.'
Back then, no outsider knew who had taken Li Chijing away. When forced by circumstance to do the deed, Yuansu had masked his features with utmost caution. Now, he felt a secret smugness:
'When it comes to caution, only Xiao Chuting can compare with me.'
Since the Li family bore no hostility toward him, Real Person Yuansu decided to place this piece. With a flick of his wrist, the jade token flew into the distance like a meteor, descending before a certain cave abode at the foot of the mountain.
"Dammit."
Real Person Yuansu tied the jade seal back to his waist, cursed uncouthly, sat back down on the bluestone, and muttered in a low voice, "Chi Wei is dead, so this is my fucking Yishan City. Who gives a damn what you Chi family members think!"
***
Within a brightly lit cave abode, a middle-aged man sat cross-legged beside a spiritual spring, slowly exhaling a breath.
His brow and eyes were sharp and fierce—clearly the visage of a man primed for combat and strife—yet a lingering melancholy hovered between his brows, diluting the baleful qi upon him and giving him a far more tempered bearing.
The longbow behind him shone brilliant gold, and his aura was striking. It was none other than Li Xuanfeng.
"Over fifty years of bitter cultivation, and Foundation Establishment is finally achieved!"
He let out a long breath and slowly opened his eyes. Golden baleful energy swirled within his pupils, blazing brightly before gradually fading to return to his original eye color.
Just as Li Xuanfeng broke through to Foundation Establishment, several rays of multicolored light emerged behind his head, and the name of Real Person Yuansu arose in his heart. The Black Pearl Talisman Seed within his body suddenly leaped, rippling with rings of white light; Li Xuanfeng's gaze clouded over before clearing once more.
Immediately thereafter, this fragment of memory vanished without a trace. Li Xuanfeng was completely unaware that two forces had clashed within his mind, thinking only to himself:
'Immortal foundation: Lou Jinshi!'
This immortal foundation was cultivated from the methods of Tangjin Gate. Its qi could break arrays, split mountains, and destroy enemy artifacts, excelling at breaking through surfaces from a single point; the more enemies slain, tempered by blood qi, the more formidable it became.
Furthermore, once this immortal foundation was forged, one could detect metal-attribute substances in the earth veins, consume gold and jade to heal wounds, command baleful qi, make the entire body as indestructible as metal and stone, bring forth sharp qi with a wave of the hand, and remain impervious to arrays and talismans.
"Indeed a fine tool for combat and breaking arrays."
Li Xuanfeng slowly stood up. The Jingeng Longbow behind him leaped eagerly into his hand. As he stroked the bowstring, he saw golden beads scattered all over the ground, and the stone walls of the cave abode were encrusted with brown and gold ores that appeared to be various metal and mineral spiritual materials.
"The phenomenon of Foundation Establishment..."
Baleful qi and astral qi surged ceaselessly within the cave abode; had the Qingchi Sect's cave array not been so sturdy, countless gaping holes would have been corroded through it long ago.
He waved his hand to disperse the turbulent astral qi and baleful qi in the chamber, pushed open the door, and walked out. Outside the cave abode, the night was clear, the stars and moon radiant.
The two Daoist boys before the door exchanged glances. They had apparently never imagined that Li Xuanfeng, a mere clan cultivator, would achieve Foundation Establishment just like that. Hurriedly bowing down, they spoke respectfully, "Greetings, Ancestor! Congratulations to the Ancestor on forging the immortal foundation and ascending further toward longevity!"
Li Xuanfeng nodded and stepped out. Having taken only a single step, he suddenly looked up: a beam of fluorescent light was descending from the night sky.
The fluorescent light was dazzling, wrapped in a bright white glow, trailing a three-foot-long multicolored tail as it slowly descended before him. Li Xuanfeng was taken aback for a moment, only to see the white light fade away, turning into a diamond-shaped jade token that came to rest before him.
Before he could speak, another person appeared at his side. Tall in stature, dressed in the azure robes of a Qingchi Sect disciple with jade boots on his feet, magical light circulated across his entire body, and not a single item he wore was ordinary.
This Qingchi Sect disciple bowed slowly, sinking to his knees like a toppling gold mountain and a falling jade pillar, and said respectfully, "Hejing respectfully obeys the Real Person's decree!"
Bowing once more, he rose, a strained smile appearing on his face as he said stiffly, "Fellow Daoist, please accept the order!"
'It is Real Person Yuansu...'
Seeing this man's reaction, Li Xuanfeng knew it was the command of a Purple Palace Real Person, thinking to himself:
'That certainly arrived quickly!'
Li Xuanfeng nodded slightly, took the jade token, and said with a smile, "I wonder where the superior sect wishes to dispatch this humble one?"
"Fellow Daoist is joking. I am Ning Hejing, Peak Master of Yuanxing Peak, stationed here at Yishan City."
The tall young man's smile was stiff. Li Xuanfeng looked closely, and only then did he recognize him, thinking:
'So it's him!'
This was none other than Senior Brother Ning, who had led a group of Yuanwu Peak disciples years ago—tall, imposing, and prominent—the very man who had kicked Deng Yuzhi down and ordered him to shoot the fleeing cultivators with his bow.
"Real Person Yuansu issued the decree himself, appointing you as a general—entrusting you with a weighty task indeed!"
Ning Hejing swiftly composed himself from his shock, a genial smile emerging on his face as he chuckled and replied, "With this, your register of cultivation is entered into Yishan City. You will receive an immortal stipend, and you can also accumulate merits to request spiritual materials from the sect."
"From now on, you and I are peers."
Ning Hejing's eyelids twitched. He still found it hard to believe, letting his gaze sweep repeatedly across Li Xuanfeng's face, thinking that this man had neither background nor talent; the only thing worth speaking of was his archery.
'Why would Real Person Yuansu personally promote a clan cultivator who just established his foundation? The Foundation Establishment cultivators in the city and within the sect number in the double digits, yet he specifically chose to elevate a clan cultivator... Is it out of appreciation... or does he have other designs?'
Hearing his words, Li Xuanfeng raised an eyebrow, a hint of joy showing as he replied, "I thank the Real Person."
He did not overthink it. Ever since coming to Yishan City, he had embraced the thought that death was almost certain, aiming merely to raise his cultivation and live a few more years. Now that he could earn some resources for his family in these final years before death, he suddenly found purpose. Smiling, he said, "How could I dare call myself your peer? If the Peak Master has any requirements, please do not hesitate to command this humble one."
Ning Hejing was taken aback by Li Xuanfeng's demeanor. He had not expected that a man whose archery was so razor-sharp would speak in such an obliging, accommodating manner. Feeling slightly relieved, he said warmly, "Fellow Daoist is being too modest. After all, you were personally elevated by Real Person Yuansu, so there is no need to be so polite with me. If you have any requests, you may freely bring them to me."
Though Li Xuanfeng was not particularly adept at scheming, he was a man in his fifties after all. His family had no prior relationship with Real Person Yuansu to begin with; this was most likely done on a whim by the Real Person. Why would he say much more to Ning Hejing? He merely asked diplomatically, "There is no need to trouble the Peak Master with such things. Xuanfeng only wishes to inquire about my duties."
"Nothing much, just helping to hold the line. The Southern Border is currently in chaos everywhere, and none of them have the leisure to play schemes with us."
Ning Hejing chuckled, leaning in rather eagerly as he said warmly, "Fellow Daoist Xuanfeng, why not come with me to meet our colleagues?"
Chapter 358