"There are no major affairs or pressing duties at home, and with your third brother and me around, you needn't worry."
Li Tongya smiled, reached into the storage bag to retrieve ten spirit stones, and said softly, "Our family still owes your senior brother, Xiao Yuansi, ten spirit stones. Why not just take them back to Qingsui Peak on your way? There's no need for them to pass through another set of hands."
Realization dawned on Li Chijing, and he smiled. "I had completely forgotten that the family still owed Senior Brother ten spirit stones."
Chatting as they walked, the three browsed the scattered stalls and gradually left the market. Boarding the large boat, they crossed to the shore of Lake Wangyue and made their way toward Mount Lijing.
***
In a daze, Lu Jiangxian heard a cacophony of clamor. A vast tide of information and dialogue surfaced in his mind, only to vanish like sand slipping through cupped fingers.
"Brother Jiangqun, this Taiyin moon essence is exceptionally precious, and our sect's Daxue Juefeng lacked only this one heaven-and-earth spirit qi. Our Qingchi Gate is immensely grateful for your generous gift today! Should you ever have need of us, our gate will spare no effort to aid you!"
A melodious woman's voice echoed in his ears. Lu Jiangxian caught a vague glimpse of a hazy face, yet he could recall nothing.
"Qingchi Gate? Isn't it the Qingchi Sect?"
Lu Jiangxian murmured to himself before suddenly jolting awake, staring blankly at the tea table and furnishings in the small room around him.
The incense beside the stone dais had been burning for quite some time, curling with white smoke. Li Mutian was dozing on the stool opposite, and moonlight shone upon Lu Jiangxian's blue-gray mirror body, giving it a remarkably resplendent sheen.
After pondering and searching his memories for a few breaths, everything in his mind slowly dispersed like a dream, leaving behind only a single volume of a formula.
The *Sacrificial Extraction Primordial Seizing Method*!
This formula was cut from the same cloth as the *Xuanzhu Spirit-Sacrifice Art*, also cast using the mirror body as a medium. Taking incense, souls, essence blood, and spiritual power as targets, it harmonized the various qi and refined them into a strand of talisman qi.
The scroll claimed that this talisman qi could: solidify cultivation, expand the six senses, elevate the skeletal frame, transform natural aptitudes, raise grade and appearance, mend shortcomings and defects... Its miraculous wonders were manifold and beyond words.
"Yet it cannot mend my mirror body! It seems I will still have to seek out materials that can repair it."
Lu Jiangxian sighed with regret. With a shift of his divine sense, he connected to the several talisman seeds drifting outside and instantly discovered that Li Chijing and the others had already departed the market and were heading toward Mount Lijing.
"What a pity. With that sudden incident, I didn't even get to investigate the source of that pull in the market. It will have to wait until next time."
With another stir of his divine sense, the blue-gray mirror floated up once more, quietly absorbing the moon essence beneath the gentle moonlight.
***
Upon returning to Mount Lijing, Li Chijing took out the talisman ink and explained to Li Xiangping and the others, "You are just beginning to cultivate the Lingzhong Talisman Art. In ordinary practice, there is no need to use real talisman paper and ink; failing would be too painful to the purse."
With that, he fetched a cup of clear water and let a single drop of talisman ink fall into it. The ink instantly blossomed, tinting the entire cup a faint wine-red.
Next, he retrieved a piece of plain cloth, laid it out on the stone table, and pressed down both sides with paperweights before letting the azure jade talisman brush soak quietly in the water for a short while.
"This will do."
Lifting the brush, he set to work swiftly on the cloth. In less than the time it took for a stick of incense to burn, he executed both the talisman head and the talisman belly in a single breath. A faint red talisman pattern emerged upon the cloth, seamlessly unified and emanating a gentle red glow.
Li Chijing set down the brush and waited a few breaths. With a soft pop, the cloth spontaneously combusted on the spot, soon reduced to a smear of dark ash clinging to the tabletop.
"If the talisman is drawn successfully, the cloth cannot bear the talisman's power and naturally ignites. If it fails, you can simply wash away the ink on the cloth and start over from the beginning."
Li Xiangping's eyes lit up immediately, and he smiled. "Jing'er, this truly is a fine method! Not only does it avoid wasting talisman paper, but it also uses far less talisman ink, greatly cutting our expenses."
Li Chijing nodded, chuckled, and explained, "It is merely a little trick my master taught me. The Qingchi Sect has been passed down for six hundred years, so it naturally has its share of clever shortcuts."
Looking up at the sky, Li Chijing turned solemn. "I still have one day left. Do you have any doubts regarding your cultivation? Has anyone in the family managed to master the *Mystic Water Sword Art*?"
Li Tongya's interest was piqued at once. Unbuckling the fine blade from his waist, he said with a smile, "I have managed to manifest a sword ray, but my sword qi moves sluggishly and refuses to separate from the blade. I wonder if that counts as having mastered it?"
"Sword rays and sword qi are merely the basics."
Li Chijing waved his hand and continued, "Sword formulas under heaven vary widely, but the realms of swordsmanship are largely the same: sword ray, sword qi, sword origin, and sword intent. The differences lie solely in the varying difficulty of the sword formulas.
"This Mystic Water Sword Art is considered simple among sword formulas of the Qi Refinement stage. One can usually manifest a sword ray after practicing for only a short period."
Beside them, Li Xiangping's expression instantly turned sheepish. Thinking of how he had read through the sword formula several times without gleaning a thing from it—let alone manifesting a sword ray—he could only lower his head, pick up the Lingzhong Talisman Art, and read it attentively.
After finishing his explanation, Li Chijing unbuckled the sword at his waist and drew its pure white blade, smiling. "Watch."
As soon as the words left his mouth, an ash-white sword ray flared along the edge, rising and falling like breath. With a twitch of Li Chijing's brow, the sword ray surged forth, transforming into a band of sword qi roughly three inches wide that leaped into the air. With a shrill whistle, it pierced clean through a large banyan tree in the distance.
Li Tongya watched with furrowed brows for a while, and Li Chijing began to instruct him in person. Once Li Tongya went off to practice on his own, Li Chijing clapped his hands together as though struck by sudden realization.
"I comprehended a sword technique while on Qingsui Peak—just a single move. I had best record it for the family first, lest I die out in the world one day and let this sword art be lost for nothing."
"Stop spouting nonsense!"
Li Xiangping scolded under his breath, then said gravely, "Jing'er, you must take good care of yourself out there! Second Brother and I cannot shoulder any burdens for you; all we can do is guard the family in your stead. The outside world is treacherous, so you must be exceedingly cautious..."
Li Xiangping rambled on for a while. Seeing that Li Chijing was listening intently, he fell silent for a few breaths before speaking again:
"Your brother here is dull of aptitude. Over these years of stumbling along, I have only managed to reach the fourth realm of Embryonic Breathing, the Qingyuan Wheel, and I feel increasingly out of my depth. Without medicinal pills or spiritual treasures, I am afraid that even if I push myself to the limit, I will end up reaching no higher than the Yujing Wheel or the Lingchu Wheel.
"Second Brother's aptitude is better than mine, but only marginally so; he cannot compare to you. Still, there is hope for him to break through to Qi Refinement. With the two of us holding down the Li family's territory, and with that mirror, our Li family will not have to fear the line dying out."
Sitting down on the ground, Li Xiangping said with a sigh of emotion, "When your second brother went to Guanyun Peak, he inquired about it: the Qingchi Sect is extremely strict when accepting disciples from the families under its rule. One must at least be capable of cultivating to Qi Refinement, and one or two out of ten might even reach Foundation Establishment.
"Second Brother and I can die, but you are the only one who cannot."
Listening to Li Xiangping's words, Li Chijing's eyes welled with moisture. He whispered softly, "Our family will all be well. You needn't worry, Third Brother. Jing'er will also work harder in the sect to secure more resources for the family."
Chapter 61