Li Xizhi casually dealt with the various figures in the market and found a spare moment to head into the courtyard. His grandfather, Li Xuanxuan, was holding a talisman brush dipped in spiritual ink, carefully tracing strokes.
The old man had been drawing talismans for over seventy years; he could paint them without the slightest deviation even with his eyes closed. Raising his grizzled brows, he looked up at Li Xizhi, his hand steadily delineating the strokes as he said with a smile, "Zhi'er, you're here."
Li Xizhi respectfully answered. With a flick of Li Xuanxuan's hand, a talisman manifested—a late Qi Refinement [Returning Origin Shield], pure white and crystal-clear. Seeing his curious expression, Li Xuanxuan chuckled, "It is just common goods, hardly comparable to the talismans in your sect."
Li Xizhi looked at it for a moment and said softly, "Indeed, there is quite a difference. Grandfather's skill in talismans has attained great mastery, but lacking a superior heritage, your talents are wasted on such ordinary talismans."
"The barrier to entry for the talisman arts is low. Rogue cultivators and clan cultivators who have wasted their talents like me are a dime a dozen in the State of Yue."
Li Xuanxuan smiled self-deprecatingly and waved his hand. From his storage bag, he retrieved the [Dinglin Spike] and handed the shimmering golden magical artifact to him, instructing, "This [Dinglin Spike] bears Situ Mo's name as well as the insignia of Tangjin Gate. We dare not use it as it is, and had hoped to find someone in the market to melt it down, reforge it, and modify it so we can at least put it to use."
He stroked his beard and said in an aged voice, "I went out earlier while I had free time, but who would have thought that the few artifact masters in the market capable of repairing and altering it were terrified of offending Tangjin Gate? They flat-out drove me away! The only one willing to take the job demanded an exorbitant price! Look at this... sigh!"
Li Xizhi understood. Taking the magical artifact, he smiled and said, "Leave it to your grandson. While I cannot run wild or skim off the top in this market, using my authority and backing can easily open a door of convenience. What is difficult for the family to handle is quite simple for me."
Li Xuanxuan nodded repeatedly, sighing with emotion, "Years ago, your youngest paternal uncle and I even discussed it—if you could have stayed with the clan, you would have been the most suited to manage the household... Unfortunately, you went to the sect. Yet back then, only you were suited to go. If it had been a few years later..."
Li Xizhi shook his head. Li Xuanxuan changed his tone, "Then again, in the end, you were truly the best choice to enter the sect. Ximing is heartless; with his temperament, entering the sect would have caused catastrophic trouble! Xijun is too sharp, and Xicheng is too rigid. The only one capable of stooping to socialize, enduring slights, and showing conciliation is you..."
"I heard you married someone from the Yang family. Is she considerate? When you have time, bring her back so Grandfather can see her..."
Li Xuanxuan was getting on in years and rambled on. Li Xizhi listened with a smile before saying softly, "Grandfather, please wait a moment. I shall go find someone to reforge the magical artifact."
Li Xuanxuan waved him off to go. Two creaks came from the backyard, and Li Xijun stepped inside, looking considerably better. He voiced his concern, "Granduncle... we should still make time to return home as soon as possible. We are naturally safe here in the market, but I fear Situ Mo, having failed to harm us here, might head for Mount Qingdu. Aunt is alone there; I worry she is no match for him."
"That is true."
Li Xuanxuan felt it made sense. Halting his talisman brush, he replied, "Once Jiao'er emerges from seclusion, we can all return home together. We will have Xizhi deliver the magical artifact later."
***
Li Xizhi left the courtyard, and the two old men attentively stepped forward. He asked softly, "Who in this market is most skilled at artifact forging?"
One of the old men came forward and offered a fawning smile, "There is a cultivator from a sword sect here... skilled at forging magical artifacts. Only... he is also a disciple of an immortal sect, has kept his doors closed for a long time, and has an unfriendly temperament. We dare not summon him; I fear your Excellency must pay him a personal visit..."
"[Wanyu Sword Gate]... No matter, take me there."
Li Xizhi nodded in realization. Following the two men forward, he rose upon a rainbow light. The two followed behind him, looking at the rainbow light beneath his feet with both admiration and awe. One sent a message via dharmic transmission, "This master was truly born under a lucky star. Born of the direct line of Qingdu, he then became a disciple of Qingchi. His master is a Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Xunlin Yuan family, his father is the patriarch of the Li clan, and he boasts three generations of Foundation Establishment... Right from birth, he was standing above our heads..."
The other old man nodded secretly and replied via transmission, "Who could say otherwise... This master's backing within the sect must surely be among the most prominent... Not touching the market's lucrative profits... perhaps he simply looks down on them!"
Unable to hear the two men's private conversation, Li Xizhi stepped into the courtyard, where he saw a young man sitting astride the ground, holding a diagram and studying it. Drooping his eyelids, he cast a sideways glance at him.
"I am Cheng Jinzhu of Wanyu Sword Gate. From which peak of Qingchi does the honored guest hail?"
The relations between Wanyu Sword Gate and Qingchi Sect were far from friendly, yet sitting astride the floor and glancing askance like this was quite insolent. Seeing how arrogant he was, Li Xizhi secretly felt this matter would be tricky. He said softly, "Li Xizhi of Qingsui Peak."
"What Qingsui Peak? Never heard of it...!"
Cheng Jinzhu replied dismissively, but suddenly frowned, sat up a bit straighter, and asked in confusion, "This Li clan of yours—is it not the Li clan of [Fuchen Peak]? Qingsui... could it be the Qingsui of the sword immortal?"
"It is the Qingdu Li clan of Lake Wangyue."
The moment Li Xizhi's words fell, Cheng Jinzhu leapt up from the ground. His expression shifted drastically, his smile turning warm and enthusiastic as he said apologetically, "Pardon my disrespect, pardon my disrespect... Seeing how youthful you look, Fellow Daoist, I thought you were a direct descendant of that demonic sect... To think you are a scion of the sword immortal's family! My deepest apologies!"
Cheng Jinzhu could openly refer to Qingchi Sect as a demonic sect, but Li Xizhi dared not acknowledge it. Even as a massive wave of relief washed over him, he could only lower his head and pretend not to have heard, saying modestly, "It is merely the shade of our ancestor, hardly worth mentioning."
Cheng Jinzhu's attitude had completely changed. Pulling him over, he said heartily, "What do you mean, hardly worth mentioning! Back when the Yueque sword intent emerged, the [Wanyu Sword Tome] in our sect stirred as well. It recorded the sword's name as [Qingchi] and the sword intent as [Yueque]—ethereal and ever-changing, clearly the righteous path at a glance!"
"We dislike referring to it by that demonic sect's peaks; whenever we speak of the sword immortal, we elaborate using the name of the sword."
His expression turned sorrowful. "It is only a pity that tragedy struck in the Southern Border! Truly a great pity."
Cheng Jinzhu took Li Xizhi's hand and said softly, "Your family was born within Qingchi's domain; otherwise, our Sword Gate would have been closest to your clan. In recent years, our sect has been fighting on all fronts, and our circumstances have been far from good, barely maintaining self-preservation. Otherwise, we certainly would have received your clan's scions into our sect to cultivate..."
He lowered his voice, "Regarding the matter of the Wrathful Maha, although the elders of our clan never involve themselves in the sordid affairs of the Buddhists, they made an exception to secretly lend aid in the Great Void to save him, which yielded some unexpected results. Alas, in the end, it still failed..."
Cheng Jinzhu seemed to have a belly full of frustration, pouring out grievances like pouring water. Li Xizhi listened carefully, feeling somewhat moved. Only then did Cheng Jinzhu realize his rambling, laughing, "Come, come, come! With your clan's profound heritage, Fellow Daoist, exchange a sword strike with me at once!"
Li Xizhi understood that he feared someone was impersonating the Li family to deceive him. Resting his right hand on his sword hilt to gather force, he said candidly, "Alright, I shall execute only one strike."
*After all, from the Moon Crescent Sword Scripture, I only know this single strike...*
Li Xizhi muttered in his heart. Seeing this, Cheng Jinzhu instantly turned solemn and drew his sword. The sword qi gleamed brightly, flowing ceaselessly as he stood ready.
Wanyu's sword arts had a long heritage. Channeling his blade, Cheng Jinzhu observed Li Xizhi's movements, only to see the sword at his waist leap forth, tracing a colossal sword arc that came rushing toward him.
*Clang...*
Drawing his sword back and giving it a flick, the sword arc before him vanished. Cheng Jinzhu retreated several steps, lost in thought, while Li Xizhi felt his heart skip a beat.
*What a swift blade. Although he is only in the late Qi Refinement stage, to dissolve my family's sword technique so easily shows remarkable strength.*
Cheng Jinzhu stroked his chin and murmured, "Your noble clan's sword move walks an unconventional path; it is quite interesting."
His hands itched, wishing to have Li Xizhi perform several more strikes, but Li Xizhi did not want to drag things out any longer and simply asked, "I obtained a magical artifact from Tangjin Gate. I would like to ask Fellow Daoist to reforge it for me so my family can use it."
"Tangjin Gate, eh?"
Cheng Jinzhu gave an affirmative nod and said naturally, "Naturally, no problem. Is it a Foundation Establishment magical artifact?"
Li Xizhi handed over the [Dinglin Spike]. Cheng Jinzhu took it, examined it, and praised, "Ingenious design. A fine treasure."
Looking very experienced, he merely asked, "Do you want it forged into a sword? What kind of true essence will wield it?"
Li Xizhi said, "Of the pine wind, frost, and snow variety."
Cheng Jinzhu made an estimate and nodded, answering, "Bring whatever cold jade or chilled stone you have on hand. I shall reforge it for you. It will take... about two or three years! The golden-radiance material is superb; forging it into its current shape was a waste of fine material. Modifying it into a sword will easily yield a Foundation Establishment-grade weapon."
Li Xizhi thanked him with delight and asked hurriedly, "May I ask how many spirit stones it will cost?"
Cheng Jinzhu casually stroked the [Dinglin Spike] in his hand and said nonchalantly, "Give whatever you see fit; I won't take advantage of you. I have only one condition—once this magical artifact is forged, I must be the one to name it."
Li Xizhi did not care about that and readily agreed. After exchanging a few more words, he took his leave.
***
By the time he returned and landed in the courtyard, his family was already preparing to depart. Li Xizhi had only been reunited with them for half a month and immediately felt reluctant to part. Hurrying forward, he said to Li Yuanjiao, "Has Father's wound healed? Why must you leave in such a hurry?"
Li Yuanjiao said softly, "The injury has stabilized. Damage to bone and sinew cannot be healed in a day or two; I still need to return home and enter secluded cultivation for three to five years."
Smoothing his black robes, he said in a solemn voice, "However, there are a few matters I wish to ask of you."
Li Xizhi answered, but little did he expect Li Yuanjiao to say, "Spar with your younger brother."
"Ah?"
Li Xizhi looked at Li Xijun holding his sword before him, stunned for a moment, but quickly realized the intention. Sure enough, Li Yuanjiao said, "Let the two of us see just how wide the gap is between our family's direct line and a disciple of Qingchi Sect!"
Li Xizhi landed somewhat awkwardly. Before him, Li Xijun was clad in white, having lingered at the sixth layer of Qi Refinement for a long time, while Li Xizhi had just broken through, clad in brocade robes.
After considering for a few breaths, he stowed his feathered robe and nodded to his younger brother.
"Elder Brother, excuse my offense!"
Stepping upon the void, Li Xijun channeled the *River-Crossing Torrent Steps* and surged forward with his hand pressed against the sword hilt. His expression grave, the white vapor in his eyes stirred, and he darted toward Li Xizhi's flank.
Li Xizhi held his scabbard, standing suspended in midair. Beneath his feet, colorful radiance swirled placidly, and with a slight shift of his body, he was already several fathoms away. Li Xijun's breath caught, and he mused inwardly:
*This movement technique is simply far too profound. I cannot hope to close the distance...*
Making a prompt decision, he drew his sword, unleashing a vast, surging white sword arc. Li Xizhi did not bully him, drawing his own blade and meeting it with a Lunar Crescent sword arc.
Li Xijun's sword was ordinary, whereas Li Xizhi's swirled with luminous magical radiance, dazzling to the eye and clearly no common object. The two collided with a thunderous roar.
*Boom...*
The two clashed in midair, kicking up dust and haze. Li Xizhi dispersed a stray wisp of sword qi that flew at him with a sweep of his sleeve, finally showing a trace of astonishment as he nodded, "Good!"
Li Xizhi was older than him, had practiced the sword longer, and naturally possessed greater talent in the sword dao. However, cultivating numerous incantations and techniques in the sect meant he spent far less time on the sword than Li Xijun. Although he held the advantage of his magical weapon, he was still slightly inferior in swordplay.
Having gained the upper hand in that exchange, Li Xijun was about to press forward and strike with sword qi, but Li Xizhi merely smiled and shook his head, forming a hand seal that released a stream of iridescent light.
[Floating Light Object Retrieval]
The iridescent light was hazy and undulating, moving swift as lightning. Li Xijun felt his hand lighten, and his sword was already in Li Xizhi's grasp.
"What kind of spell is this!"
Watching quietly from the side, Li Yuanjiao instantly blanched when he saw Li Xizhi seize Li Xijun's precious blade with a whoosh, his heart shaken with fright.
*There really are techniques specifically meant to counter weapon arts!*
Rogue cultivators and clan cultivators were unversed in spells; the only way they could contend with immortal sects was through weapon arts such as swords, spears, and sabers—arts with low barriers to entry but exceptionally high ceilings. Li Yuanjiao had long suspected that Qingchi Sect possessed counter-arts, and his heart sank:
*If this is the case, what chance of victory remains? With a single spell, even one's sword is snatched away!*
Li Xijun was caught off guard as well, but fortunately his reactions were swift. Instantly pinching two fingers together, he unleashed [Tujun Sunflower Light]. White radiance erupted, surging toward Li Xizhi.
"Fine spell."
Li Xizhi praised, forming an incantation seal with his other hand. Bending his middle and ring fingers inward into his palm while extending the others to form the shape of a tripod, he enunciated each word deliberately, "En-ter... my... heart... tri-pod."
The moment his voice fell, the sunflower light gathered into a slender white thread, looped nimbly through the air, and descended into his palm. Li Xizhi flicked it gently to the side. The white qi swirled, freezing and shattering a patch of bluestone into fragments.
Having fought to this point, Li Xijun could only sigh helplessly. Li Yuanjiao and Li Xuanxuan exchanged a glance, both filled with shock:
*Zhi'er is not even of the direct line of Qingchi; he merely cultivates the Morning Glow Dew Plucking Incantation, known in Qingchi for being complete and well-rounded... yet he is already this formidable! If it were someone from the Chi family...*
Li Xizhi cupped his hands to his younger brother. Seeing the silence of the two elders, he said softly, "Your Zhi'er isn't considered weak in the sect either..."
Li Yuanjiao sighed and asked, "How many spells can an ordinary disciple of Qingchi cultivate?"
Li Xizhi replied respectfully, "Three or four. Any more, and I fear it would delay Foundation Establishment."
Li Xizhi looked at his father, hesitated for a moment, and added, "Disciples within the sect often reach Foundation Establishment in their fifties or sixties. It is not because their talent is limited, but because they delay to cultivate auxiliary spells and await the ideal moment for a breakthrough. If certain spells are not practiced during Qi Refinement, they become even harder to learn after Foundation Establishment."
"Why is that?"
Li Yuanjiao frowned slightly. His eldest son answered, "Once a cultivator casts their immortal foundation, they naturally gain many wondrous subtleties. If a spell one wishes to master does not harmonize with it, making progress becomes exceedingly difficult..."
"Conversely, if one masters the spell early before Foundation Establishment, after reaching Foundation Establishment the spell will be influenced by the immortal foundation, perhaps even developing many even more wondrous variations!"
"Therefore, disciples in the sect put off their breakthrough as long as possible. Often, as some grow older, it instead results in many tragedies."
Chapter 412