Li Encheng remained seated, his gaze fixed on Li Xizhi's expression as he said indifferently, "I have my own subordinates to handle my affairs. Your noble clan is a family of sword immortals, so how could I presume to meddle? My involvement with the Shanyue was merely to seek a single Blood Sun Fruit. That Shanyue Foundation Establishment cultivator..."
Li Encheng paused for two breaths, appearing as though he could not even recall the Shanyue cultivator's name. Fortunately, Li Xizhi interjected to prompt him, and Li Encheng continued, "Somehow, Fu Daimu caught wind of the matter and sought out my shopkeeper at Xuanyuan Market, pulling strings all the way to me. It is of no consequence; I can simply search elsewhere! There is no need to trouble your noble clan!"
"As for anything else..."
He narrowed his eyes slightly and said softly, "I have no interest in forming ties with any peak. Please return whence you came, back to your Qingsui Peak."
"This disciple understands."
Li Xizhi offered an apology and slowly stepped down with an unruffled countenance. Leaving the main hall, he reached the outer steps, where a middle-aged man hurried up to meet him. This was Li Encheng's second disciple. He profusely apologized and spoke a few words of excuse on his master's behalf. Li Xizhi merely smiled and rode the wind away.
The middle-aged man entered the hall to find Li Encheng drinking wine in the seat of honor. Lowering his voice, he said, "Father! This..."
Li Encheng glared at him. The middle-aged man hastily shut the doors and activated an isolation formation before speaking again: "This Li clan shares our ancestral surname, and they are so weak and of empty renown. It would be perfect for each to take what they need from the other! The Qingchi Sect has controlled connections for so long, and you have longed for an opening for ages. Why did you drive him away?"
Li Encheng shook his head dismissively and replied, "What does that matter? I told him everything he needed to know. What does my tone signify? Do not mistake Yuan Tuan and Li Xizhi for someone like Si Yuanbai... Even Xiao Yuansi has his own designs."
Recalling Li Xizhi's composed expression, the middle-aged man nodded hesitantly.
***
Qingsui Peak.
Li Xizhi rode the wind back to his courtyard and shut the doors. Yang Xiao'er asked, "What did the Bishui Pill Master say?"
"It succeeded."
Li Xizhi nodded with a smile. Picking up brush and ink from the desk, he wrote smoothly: "...Hope the clan seeks the Blood Sun Fruit... and delivers it to the Qingchi Sect shopkeeper at Xuanyuan Market. This person belongs to Li Encheng..."
Li Encheng was a Foundation Establishment cultivator; how could he possibly fail to remember a name? Moreover, Li Xizhi had just spoken Fu Daimu's name loud and clear. Li Encheng's pretense was merely to make Fu Daimu seem utterly inconsequential. His subtle hints and intention to form friendly ties were already plain to see.
Furthermore, Li Encheng had made his requirements crystal clear: first, he wanted the Blood Sun Fruit; second, all contact must go through Xuanyuan Market rather than visiting Fuchen Peak again.
'He has kept to himself in the sect for so many years. As expected, he is not without schemes...'
After pondering for a while, Li Xizhi set his brush aside and turned to Yang Xiao'er. "I may have to trouble you to visit Diyun Peak again, Xiao'er, to investigate what happened around the time Li Encheng joined the sect. See if he offended someone so badly that he dares not even speak openly on his own peak."
Although Li Encheng was a master alchemist, he was constrained at every turn by Yundan Peak. Most requests for favors were directed to Yundan Peak, meaning that after toiling to refine pills, the lion's share of favors and benefits went to Yundan Peak instead.
Yet he had always acted eccentrically, leading everyone to assume he simply did not care. Now that Li Xizhi thought about it, the situation seemed suspicious. Not daring to let his father act rashly, he intended to ascertain the truth first.
'Yang Tianya covered for our clan in person. He must either have ties with us or share designs with the Xiao family. Only by inquiring at Diyun Peak can we uncover the real truth without giving ourselves away.'
Setting aside the brush and ink, he brought out the Six-Color Yuan-Seeking Flight. The senior who created this movement technique was evidently fond of ostentation; the jade slip was dazzling with vibrant colors and carved with elaborate, ornate patterns.
'When it comes to the splendor of true essence, the Morning Glow Dew Plucking Incantation is truly peerless...'
Li Xizhi studied it throughout the night. Just as dawn broke, Yang Xiao'er returned riding the wind. She stepped inside with a furrowed brow and reported, "Li Encheng... truly did offend someone in the past!"
"Who?"
Li Xizhi looked up hurriedly, only to see a strange look on Yang Xiao'er's face as she whispered, "Chi Wei!"
"Chi Wei?!"
Li Xizhi froze for a moment, finding it hard to believe. "How is that possible?"
Yang Xiao'er carefully inspected the doors and windows before transmitting her voice using a secret technique: "Back when Chi Wei was still at Foundation Establishment, he ventured out with Li Encheng. The two discovered an alchemy inheritance amidst a ruin. Overcome by greed, Li Encheng injured Chi Wei, locked him inside the secret realm, and seized the inheritance for himself..."
"Who would have thought that Chi Wei ended up gaining immense benefits within that realm instead? When he returned to the sect, Li Encheng was arrested and interrogated. It was only because the previous Fuchen Peak Master intervened with all his might that Li Encheng was spared, and Chi Wei magnanimously let the matter drop."
"The two buried the hatchet. Afterwards, Li Encheng never left the sect again, remaining on his peak day after day to refine pills to atone for his guilt..."
Li Xizhi shook his head upon hearing this. "So that is the origin... No wonder..."
Yang Xiao'er added, "Now that Chi Wei is dead, Li Encheng has become a golden goose for the sect. The sect has long expunged this episode from the records. It was only because our ancestor had someone inform me that I learned of it."
"No wonder Li Encheng rarely ventures outside..."
Li Xizhi nodded thoughtfully. "It might not be that he is unwilling to leave the sect, but rather that he dares not."
Li Xizhi retrieved a jade slip from a shelf, checked it thoroughly, and murmured with realization, "There is indeed a brief record mentioning an alchemy inheritance obtained from the Mifan Sect... So that was the story behind it."
Yang Xiao'er pursed her lips and reminded him, "This took place far too long ago. Aside from a few Violet Palace seniors, none of the current peak masters or disciples know about it. There shouldn't be any issue."
"Back then, my clan's ancestor was merely a junior disciple. How much of this is true or false—what the sect claims versus what actually happened in that secret realm—nobody really knows. Just take it with a grain of salt."
Li Xizhi nodded slightly, weighing the implications in his heart. Picking up his brush, he added a few lines to the letter, folded it carefully, sealed it with the clan's secret technique, and prepared to send it out.
The three precious herbs Li Yuanjiao had sent were ultimately not used. Although his father had written that he could keep them for himself if forming ties proved hopeless, Li Xizhi could not bring himself to pocket them all.
After examining them closely, Li Xizhi took out one Cloud Vine Spirit Pepper, intending to deliver it to Yundan Peak to have a batch of pills refined. The remaining two were packed away untouched into a small pouch, to be sent back home alongside the letter.
***
Mount Qingdu.
Li Ximing sat upright before a furnace fire. The golden flames cast flickering light and shadows across his face. With a gentle hook of his fingers, Xuanyang Leaving Fire leaped forth, dancing and tracing patterns around his fingertips.
Though Xuanyang Leaving Fire was violent and unruly, in his hands it was as obedient as a sprite, leaping and flowing smoothly.
It was originally an excellent spiritual fire for combat. Unfortunately, the family possessed only this single portion, so it had to be converted into Changxing Yuan Fire. Playing with it in his hands, Li Ximing felt its explosive, scorching power with a touch of regret.
Having received the talisman seed, Li Ximing's cultivation had reached the fifth tier of Qi Refinement, just a step away from the sixth tier. After four months in seclusion, he had effortlessly broken through to the sixth tier of Qi Refinement, his aura steady and his strength more than adequate.
'Talisman qi is truly marvelous. What a pity one can only receive a single strand. If only one could take several...'
Li Ximing had just emerged after two months of continuous seclusion, his heart itching with restless energy. Calling an attendant waiting outside the courtyard, he instructed, "Bring up that Dou... and the others..."
The attendant had run such errands many times and understood immediately upon hearing the command. Just as he bowed to withdraw, Li Ximing hurriedly called out, "Wait! Wait... Someone is coming."
With a creak, the courtyard gate swung open, and a white-robed youth entered. He had sword-like brows and starry eyes, his true essence radiating a chill like cold snow. Smiling, he said, "Ximing, you've come out of seclusion? What fortunate timing!"
Li Xijun's cultivation had likewise reached the fifth tier of Qi Refinement. Both had received Foundation Establishment-grade talisman seeds, allowing them to break through in quick succession. They had surpassed Li Xizhi in the sect, both stepping into the mid-stage of Qi Refinement, while only Li Xicheng at the foot of the mountain remained at the second tier of Qi Refinement.
The two brothers sat down. Li Ximing still looked somewhat sheepish, but Li Xijun did not point it out. Instead, he recounted everything that had transpired while Ximing was in seclusion. When he mentioned the two mineral veins, Li Ximing was delighted and replied, "That is great news!"
Li Xijun said, "Second Uncle has entered seclusion to heal his injuries. Over the past two months, I went out to harvest qi and cultivate Tujun Sunflower Light. Along the way, I visited two markets and gathered all the spirit essences and materials needed for you to execute the Runyang Method."
With that, he brought out several items from his storage bag: a spirit stone etched with phoenix-tail patterns, a warm jade bottle, crimson spirit essences, and a whole assortment of spiritual materials.
"This is Phoenix Tail Stone, this is Ash Crow Smoke, and this is Yuanyang spirit essence..."
Li Ximing received them one by one. Seeing Li Xijun's travel-worn appearance, he quickly thanked him. Placing the items on the table, he felt too embarrassed to say much more, offering repeated words of gratitude.
Li Xijun waved his hand, not taking it to heart.
Now that his cultivation had advanced, he had begun cultivating the Clear-Sight Spiritual Pupil. A sharp light swirled within his eyes, seeming capable of peering right through people. He said in a low voice, "Eldest Granduncle has looked very haggard lately. He seems plagued by heart demons, though he refuses to speak of it. Refine more mind-clearing pills... When I find an opportunity, I will send a few people to the southern commanderies to seek similar pills."
"It just so happens that I also need to search for a kind of spiritual water out there. Handling both matters together will be more convenient."
Li Ximing nodded in agreement. Li Xuanxuan was his grandfather, the person he should have cared for most. Yet because of his closed-door cultivation, he had delayed the matter. Filled with self-reproach, he said, "I will go refine the pills right away, right away... I will keep a close watch on Grandfather's situation from now on; you won't need to worry about it."
Li Xijun nodded with a smile. Li Ximing then asked, "Is Tujun Sunflower Light truly so difficult to cultivate? The family already possesses one kind of cold water and one strand of cold qi. We gained another from the Yuan clan, and the Hanxue Ji records ways to find three strands of cold qi and one kind of cold water... Do you still need to venture outside?"
"I am only short of that last type of cold water,"
Li Xijun replied with a smile. "My Bright Frost Pine Ridge excels at spellcraft, making Tujun Sunflower Light exceptionally potent in my hands."
He extended two fingers, pressing his thumb against the base of his index finger, and chanted an incantation. Instantly, a dazzling cold light flared out. Amidst the biting chill, wisps of flawless white radiance drifted from his fingertips, dancing through the air.
Li Ximing felt a biting frost prickling his face, the hairs on his neck standing on end. A layer of shimmering white frost appeared on the ground beneath his feet, and the circulation of true essence within his body became sluggish.
Mindful of the spiritual materials on the table, Li Xijun dared not unleash the spell fully. After a brief demonstration, he waved his hand to disperse the magic and explained, "Tujun Sunflower Light is not merely about cold; its essence lies in Yin. Once I obtain the spiritual water, it will reach an even higher level. When unleashed in battle, even an opponent with cultivation far superior to mine will suffer a grievous loss if caught off guard."
Li Ximing watched with envy. "Unfortunately, my technique belongs to the Golden Yang lineage, so I cannot cultivate it. Although the Golden Hall Huangyuan Formula is fine, it lacks matching spells and movement techniques."
As the two conversed, a clear, crisp feminine shout echoed from outside Mount Qingdu's grand formation:
"The Kong clan of Xuanyue Gate has arrived as promised! Please open the mountain gate!"
The two were taken aback. Rising on the wind, they saw a woman in plain robes standing outside the barrier. A golden bead hung at her waist alongside a pair of scimitars, and her figure was graceful and alluring. Behind her stood an unremarkable middle-aged man, silent and solemn.
'What a beautiful woman.'
Li Ximing had a gentle temperament. Though he had a weakness for female charms, he was not so blinded by lust as to lose his senses. Knowing she was a Foundation Establishment senior, he kept his head bowed, not daring to stare.
Li Xijun cupped his hands and asked, "Could Senior be Senior Kong Tingyun?"
"Indeed. And you are...?"
Kong Tingyun glanced at him and inwardly praised his bearing. Softening her tone with a touch of politeness, she said, "Brother Jiao previously made an agreement with me to construct a fire vein for your noble clan. I have come to fulfill that promise."
*Splash...*
As they spoke, the dark cyan surface of Lake Wangyue broke with a thunderous roar. A black-robed youth ascended on the wind, casting a somber glance at Kong Tingyun. When his gaze settled upon the pair of scimitars at her waist, his face darkened instantly, and he stood there without uttering a word.
Kong Tingyun glanced at him, finding him strikingly familiar. After a moment of shock, she gasped, "The hook snake?!"
Li Wushao exhaled two deep breaths and said humbly, "The hook snake is dead. I am Li Wushao of Qingdu. Wushao pays respects to the immortal senior."
Kong Tingyun responded rather uncomfortably. The doubt that had lingered in her mind for so long was finally resolved:
'No wonder Li Yuanjiao went to all that trouble, sparing no effort to drag this hook snake back to the Li family... It turns out they had a method to control monster beasts. Being close to the north, I suppose it isn't entirely surprising.'
However, hanging at her waist was a pair of Foundation Establishment magical artifacts forged from the hook snake's original tail hooks, which made the situation rather awkward. Since the hook snake now belonged to the Li family, she had to show proper respect. Quietly stowing the artifacts into her storage bag, Kong Tingyun said, "Kong Tingyun of Xuanyue greets Fellow Daoist."
Li Wushao's expression softened considerably, and he stepped back behind Li Xijun in silence.
With Li Yuanjiao and Li Qinghong both in seclusion, this responsibility naturally fell upon Li Xijun's shoulders. He said courteously, "Please wait a few days, Senior. Our elders are currently in closed-door cultivation and cannot come out to receive you immediately..."
Kong Tingyun waved her hand dismissively, saying directly, "There is no need for Li Yuanjiao. Just point out a mountain for me to open the fire vein, return that formation plate to me, and I will be on my way. I do not have much free time."
Having said that, Kong Tingyun asked with lingering apprehension, "Li Yuanjiao hasn't ruined the formation, has he? Is that why he dares not face me? That is a precious item; if it was damaged, your family will have to pay dearly!"
"Rest assured, Senior, it is completely unharmed."
Li Xijun nodded. The location for the fire vein had already been decided by the Li clan: Mount Wutu.
Shifting a fire vein usually affected the surrounding spirit fields. The other peaks all stood amid vast expanses of spirit fields, whereas Mount Wutu sat isolated within the forests, leaving it as the only viable choice.
At Kong Tingyun's signal, the middle-aged man at the peak of Qi Refinement rode the wind toward Mount Wutu. Li Xijun led the others on the wind to follow, watching from the air together.
Chapter 394