"A few months ago, I quietly tested your innate talent."
Li Xiangping paused for a few breaths, then turned to look down at Li Xuanxuan, whose heart was racing with excitement and face full of anticipation. Xiangping spoke again:
"There is no spirit aperture in your sea of qi."
To Li Xuanxuan, it felt like a bolt from the blue. His mind went entirely blank as a wave of bitter grief surged into his heart. His eyes reddened and his lips pressed tight, utter disbelief written across his face.
He knew little of just how scarce spirit apertures were in the world. He only thought that although the cultivators in the entire village did not even amount to a handful, two elders in his own household were cultivators, and even the branch family had produced Li Qiuyang. No matter how poor his own talent was, he felt he should surely have possessed a spirit aperture.
Now, hearing that he had no spirit aperture and was destined to remain a mere mortal all his life, his world plunged into gloom, and tears welled up in his eyes.
"This mirror is a treasure I picked up from the river when I was catching fish as a boy."
Li Xiangping pointed to the greenish-gray mirror on the stone pedestal. Seeing Li Xuanxuan's crestfallen state, he gently stroked the boy's head and chuckled softly, "Do you know what wonderful purpose it serves?"
Fighting back his tears, Li Xuanxuan answered earnestly, "Xuanxuan does not know."
"Its wondrous purpose is to allow even those without spirit apertures to cultivate."
Hearing these words, Li Xuanxuan froze. He stared blankly at Li Xiangping's face as hope rose like the morning sun within his heart. A tearful smile broke through his grief, and he choked out, "Third Uncle is teasing me on purpose."
Yet gazing at Li Xiangping's half-smiling expression, Li Xuanxuan thought through it carefully. A cold shiver ran through him, and he could not help blurting out, "Could it be..."
"That's right."
Li Xiangping nodded, his expression turning solemn. "Your father had no spirit aperture. Your second uncle and third uncle have no spirit apertures either. Even your fourth uncle, Li Chijing, who cultivates in the immortal sect, has no spirit aperture."
"Our Li family's rise relies entirely on this mirror. Were it not for this mirror, you and I would be nothing more than common folk toiling in the fields!"
Stunned by this staggering revelation, Li Xuanxuan was struck dumb. His world seemed to spin as he asked in a dry voice, "Just picking up a mirror from a river allowed our family to cast off mortality and become immortals?"
"Precisely! This mirror can refine moon essence and bestow the Xuanzhu talisman seed upon a person. It is far too extraordinary. Once word leaks out, our Li family will surely be reduced to ashes!"
Li Xiangping cautioned him sternly. Observing Li Xuanxuan's shock, he paused.
Li Xuanxuan muttered to himself, words tumbling out in rapid realization: "So that's how it is! That's how it is! No wonder whenever I asked Grandfather about Foundation Establishment, he kept his mouth tightly shut. Our family didn't produce three spirit apertures under one roof because Grandfather once reached Foundation Establishment, but because of this treasure!"
"Just earlier, Third Uncle wouldn't let Li Qiuyang touch me to conceal the secret that I have no spirit aperture! And that Liu clan man who trespassed on the mountain was killed on the spot by our family not because Third Uncle was cruel, but because Third Uncle was terrified..."
As the thoughts raced through Li Xuanxuan's mind, a chill ran down his spine, and he broke out in a cold sweat. Cupping his hands toward Li Xiangping, he said, "People all think Third Uncle is ruthless and suspicious, but they've misunderstood you! Holding such a treasure, how could our Li family not be on guard?"
Li Xiangping was taken aback as well. He stared blankly at Li Xuanxuan, feeling that this child was entirely different from the one in his memories. Looking at him closely, he asked softly, "Then why did I tell Li Qiuyang that you were about to form the Xuanjing Wheel?"
Li Xuanxuan stroked his chin and pondered for a few breaths before replying, "It must be that this mirror yields twice the result with half the effort when cultivating the Xuan Scenery! Fearing Li Qiuyang would grow suspicious, Third Uncle lied and claimed I had already begun cultivating months ago."
"Good!"
Li Xiangping nodded with satisfaction and patted his shoulder.
"A true child of our Li family! Following around your grandfather every day, you certainly learned quite a bit!"
With that, he leaned down and tapped lightly on the base of the stone pedestal, retrieving a wooden slip from the side. He placed it in Li Xuanxuan's hands, and seeing the boy accept it respectfully, he explained in a low voice:
"This secret art is called the Reception Method. It is the wondrous method for receiving the Xuanzhu talisman seed. Spend this month in this courtyard studying it closely. On the winter solstice, the talisman seed can be bestowed upon you. You can sleep in the side room next door; I will have someone deliver your meals."
"Yes."
Li Xuanxuan nodded heavily. Watching Li Xiangping close the door and hearing his footsteps fade into the distance, he lowered his head and began to read intently.
***
"...Father is in good health, and Second Brother has already cultivated Zhouxing. Enclosed with this letter are three Sheyuan Pills. We hope Jing'er will cultivate diligently and attain Qi Refinement soon. All is well at home, so do not worry!"
Li Chijing carefully put away the letter and brushed away the tears at the corners of his eyes. Placing the three bottles of Sheyuan Pills neatly on the shelf, he turned to thank Xiao Yuansi: "Thank you, Senior Brother! My family owes you so much kindness. Jing'er is eternally grateful."
"Think nothing of it!"
Xiao Yuansi shook his head and said, "Fellow disciples under the same master are as close as family. There is no need for such formality."
Li Chijing nodded gently and said quietly, "With these Sheyuan Pills, along with the Mingshen Powder bestowed by Master, I am ninety percent certain I can condense the Yujing Wheel."
Pondering for a few breaths, Li Chijing asked softly, "Master once said that entering Qi Refinement from Embryonic Breathing first requires swallowing a breath of heaven-and-earth spirit qi. I wonder what the crucial secret is?"
Xiao Yuansi picked up his teacup, took a sip to moisten his throat, and explained:
"In Qi Refinement, one must first take in a breath of heaven-and-earth spirit qi. This spirit qi may be Xiaoqing spirit qi refined from mountain spirit qi, earth vein baleful qi refined from subterranean veins, or morning glow rosy qi gathered from mists and clouds..."
"In short, it is best if this breath harmonizes with one's cultivation technique, so that it becomes pure and robust, forging the foundation of one's dharmic power. Ninety-nine percent of rogue cultivators outside the sects use Xiaoqing spirit qi refined from the spirit qi of the mountains; it is compatible with all kinds of methods, possessing neither distinct strengths nor distinct flaws."
"Oh?"
Intrigued by this, Li Chijing hurriedly asked, "Then what Qi Refinement technique would be best to transition into from my family's method? And what heaven-and-earth spirit qi would I need?"
"Though I do not know your family's method, seeing that your dharmic power is limpid and clear, our sect does have several Qi Refinement techniques well-suited for your transition."
Xiao Yuansi smiled, setting down his cup. Under Li Chijing's curious gaze, he continued:
"The first is the Yuanqing Rain-Governing Formula, the most renowned art of our Qingchi Sect. It uses rain-mist qi refined from the rains and mists of spirit mountains, excelling at soaring on clouds and riding mists, stirring clouds and manipulating rain, overcoming enemies with softness."
"The second is the Shanyin Forest Mist Formula. This art makes use of the yin qi of the mountains, though few in the sect have mastered it."
"The third is a formula of immense difficulty known as the Moon Lake Autumn Reflection Formula. Ever since the third peak master of Moon Lake Peak mastered it, no one else has managed to cultivate it. Perhaps there is some crucial secret, but that master fell over three hundred years ago, leaving nowhere to inquire..."
Knowing full well that his own dharmic power was inextricably tied to moon essence, Li Chijing felt a surge of joy upon hearing this name. Yet hearing Xiao Yuansi say that no one had succeeded, he froze and hastily asked:
"Why is that?"
Chapter 38