Chapter 124: Liu Changdie

“Farewell, Immortal Master!”

The Cloud Ship of Rosy Light ascended from Guanyun Peak, pierced through the clouds, and vanished into the horizon. Li Xuanfeng and the other cultivators all rose to their feet. Xiao Chuting, as usual, uttered some polite pleasantries, then waved his hand, dismissing the crowd, before his figure disappeared above Guanyun Peak.

The surroundings immediately became lively. A crowd quickly encircled Li Xuanfeng, vying to speak with him.

“Fellow Daoist! I am from the Wu family of Junnan…”

Before the man could finish speaking, someone from the other side interrupted, cupping his hands and saying, “May I ask if Fellow Daoist is married? I am from the Chang family of Jundong…”

“You!”

The two immediately began to compete fiercely, gnashing their teeth. Li Xuanfeng felt a headache coming on. Xiao Yongling, standing nearby, quickly intervened, shouting, “Gentlemen! This is Guanyun Peak! Please stop and settle your disputes down the mountain!”

Then, cupping his hands respectfully towards the crowd, he politely stated, “Everyone, Brother Li and my Xiao family have important matters to attend to. We must leave Guanyun Peak together now. Please find another opportunity to get acquainted. My apologies.”

Without further conversation, he waved his sleeves and, with Li Xuanfeng, rose into the air, carried by the wind, leaving the people below exchanging bewildered glances.

The two landed in the mountains. Li Xuanfeng let out a wry smile. Xiao Yongling smiled, shook his head, and whispered, “People are prone to fawning over power. The Li family will be surrounded by such individuals from now on; you should get used to it quickly. These people greet you with smiles. If you give them a cold shoulder without reason, they will resent you. If you try to entertain them all, you'll waste an immeasurable amount of time. You should withdraw quickly.”

After saying this, Xiao Yongling carefully observed Li Xuanfeng's expression, trying to discern if Li Xuanfeng was annoyed at having his moment of glory interrupted. Seeing Li Xuanfeng with a thoughtful look, he nodded and chuckled, “Your esteemed clan's Azure Tassel Sword Immortal is known throughout the entire sect! With such a figure providing protection, your clan's future path is smooth indeed!”

Li Xuanfeng let out a hearty laugh, a hint of joy immediately appearing in his eyes. He cupped his hands and humbly replied, “Oh, not at all! I'm not as good as Senior Chuting!”

Seeing his reaction, Xiao Yongling immediately understood. As he ushered Li Xuanfeng inside, he mused to himself, “Li Xuanfeng's character is forthright and open; he disdains concealment but is not reckless, possessing considerable stratagem. He is much more comfortable to deal with than the reserved and cautious Li Tongya, whose nature is like a deep pool. His talent is also high; within ten years, he will undoubtedly be the head of the Li family. I must cultivate a good relationship with him.”

This thought flashed through his mind. Xiao Yongling's demeanor became much more open, knowing well the preferences of people like Li Xuanfeng. He said, with a hint of roguish charm, “I must introduce someone to you! This master, despite his youth, is already a renowned formation master in the commandery, famous far and wide. For hundreds of years, perhaps only Wan Huaqian in the entire Lixia Commandery could surpass him!”

“Oh?” Li Xuanfeng nodded, looking up with considerable anticipation. He saw a young man, draped in a fox fur robe, sitting upright in the courtyard, holding a cup and reading a book. His demeanor was extraordinary. Upon seeing the two, he quickly rose and cupped his hands, saying, “I am Liu Changdie, greetings to both of you.”

Li Xuanfeng quickly returned the gesture. Then he saw Xiao Yongling say with a beaming smile, “As soon as this master heard that the Li family of Lijing was looking for someone, he immediately followed me here without a second thought. It's clear that the Li family's reputation is now thunderous!”

Li Xuanfeng paused, faintly sensing something amiss. Even the various families had only received the news from a fast-flying magic artifact like the Cloud Ship of Rosy Light, and it hadn't yet spread throughout the commandery. How did this person know?

Liu Changdie quickly cupped his hands and explained, “I was once invited by an old friend to Qingchi Sect, where I met the Azure Tassel Sword Immortal. We conversed happily, and I was deeply moved by his heavenly demeanor. I also once saw the Azure Ruler Sword; it was a blend of azure and white, truly magnificent, and unforgettable to this day!”

After speaking, he glanced at Li Xuanfeng from head to toe. Seeing his gaze like lightning and a wild, grand demeanor in his brows, he immediately praised, “Although old Master Li lives in seclusion in the mountains and has no great reputation, his descendants each possess unique charm! Truly a divine family!”

Li Xuanfeng laughed heartily. Seeing that he was a friend of Li Chirjing and his description was very detailed, his wariness immediately lessened by a third. But he still smiled and said, “I didn't expect Mister to know so much about my Li family.”

Liu Changdie paused, then nodded gracefully, ending the topic. He was secretly alarmed in his heart, musing, “Indeed, all the renowned figures of later generations are no ordinary people. Not to mention the mature and experienced Old Man Yushan, Xiao Yongling, this ‘Golden Geng Adamant Chord’ Li Xuanfeng is only fifteen years old, yet he is already audacious and astute, truly extraordinary!”

“In my previous life, when I went to Dongshan Yue to repair a formation for Yuanjiao, Li Yuanjiao, after getting drunk, once mentioned that the Li family's two preceding generations both held deep love and longing for the Li family's progenitor. I thought I could use this to draw closer, but I almost gave myself away!”

Thoughts raced through his mind like lightning. Yet, he conversed animatedly with the two. Liu Changdie recounted his experiences within the Qingchi Sect, which were quite captivating and also involved Li Chirjing. The two listened spellbound, not carefully observing his expression.

“Whenever the Azure Tassel Sword Immortal strikes an enemy, he invariably begins with a specific sword draw technique. This technique is like a crescent moon or a hook, sometimes as vast as a white sail, or as fleeting as a star. Its power is astonishing, often severely injuring the enemy with a single strike.”

Liu Changdie continued to speak, forcing himself, and seeing the two nod slightly. He secretly exclaimed to himself, “Fortunately, the Azure Tassel Sword Immortal left for the Southern Wilderness seventy years ago and never returned. Yuanjiao also told me about the power of this sword technique, so no matter how I fabricate it, I don't have to worry about making it sound plausible. Otherwise, I would truly be in trouble!”

The three chatted for a while longer. Xiao Yongling checked the time, then suddenly realized, and chuckled, “We were so engrossed in conversation that we forgot the time; the sun is about to set! Let's not delay Young Friend Xuanfeng's business!”

Li Xuanfeng also came to his senses, slapped his thigh, and said, “Brother Changdie! How do you think this formation should be set up?”

He then described the terrain and orientation of Mount Lijing one by one, and recounted his family's requirements. After finishing thoroughly, he asked with some apprehension, “Our requirement is that it must withstand attacks from cultivators in the late Qi Condensation stage at minimum. Brother Changdie, can you set up this type of formation? And how many spirit stones would it cost to deploy it on Mount Lijing?”

Liu Changdie nodded. Adding his experiences from this life and the last, he had over a hundred years of experience in setting up formations. This grand formation, though not effortless, was certainly familiar territory for him. He immediately replied, “If set up according to my plan, it would require twelve formation flags, encompassing the adjacent Mount Meichi as well, thus forming one mountain with two peaks. Using the Sunstone Profound Light Formation, it would envelop both completely. With this grand formation, even a cultivator at the peak of the Qi Condensation stage could be resisted for a while.”

Liu Changdie raised his head proudly. In his previous life, he was obsessed with formation arts, diligently researching them, even delaying his cultivation. His current cultivation in formation arts was virtually unrivalled on this Ancient Lijiang path. Even the few genius formation masters from the Three Sects and Seven Gates would find it hard to compete with him. Liu Changdie felt that even if Wan Huaqian crawled out of the ground, they might not be his match.

“Encompass both mountains! If that can be done, it would be truly excellent!” Li Xuanfeng was immediately overjoyed. If Mount Meichi could be incorporated and become one of Lijing Mountain's peaks, then the safety of the Mount Meichi cave dwelling would be guaranteed, and they wouldn't have to consider a separate formation for it—one formation serving two purposes.

“However, how many spirit stones would it cost?” Li Xuanfeng did not hastily agree, but first asked Liu Changdie for the specific price.

Liu Changdie nodded, his expression sincere, and replied, “I am good friends with the Azure Tassel Sword Immortal; he helped me greatly with my cultivation, and I am deeply grateful. Brother Xuanfeng and I feel like old friends at first sight, so I'll be frank. I have extensively calculated the Sunstone Profound Light Formation many times. The cost for deploying it on these two peaks should be around eighty to ninety spirit stones. The usual asking price is one hundred and twenty spirit stones or more.”