Chapter 126: Formation and Marriage Agreement

"Senior, I intend to..."

Liu Changdie, still somewhat reserved and excited, quickly repeated the words he had spoken to Li Xuanfeng on Guan Yun Peak. Knowing that Li Chijing was Li Tongya's blood brother, he tempered his words slightly, losing the previous air of taking full responsibility, and merely mentioned having seen Li Chijing at the Qingchi Sect.

Li Xuanfeng also joined in, recounting the events on Guan Yun Peak. Li Tongya, who had not heard news of Li Chijing for many years, was deeply moved. He listened calmly, and once both had finished speaking, he smiled lightly and said, "Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!"

Beside him, Li Xuanxuan was uncontrollably excited, as if he could see Li Chijing standing on a large city wall, holding a sword and repelling enemies. He smiled, completely satisfied.

"Chijing is doing well in the Southern Wilds; we can finally set our minds at ease!" Li Tongya listened to the two juniors babble on, then uttered a gratified remark. He then turned the conversation back to the mountain's formation. After hearing Liu Changdie's concept, he nodded and said, "Sir, please proceed without hesitation. The Li family will offer its full cooperation. Xuanxuan, you and Sir will be responsible for this Sun Ritual Mystic Light Array."

"Yes!" Both quickly affirmed. Li Tongya chatted for a few more moments before waving his hand in dismissal.

Once Li Tongya had departed, the atmosphere immediately lightened, and the three of them began discussing the specific locations in detail.

"Eight flags will be placed on Lijing Peak, positioned according to the mountain's terrain at the Qian, Kan, Gen, and Zhen corners. Four flags will be placed on Meichi Peak, taking the Xun, Li, Kun, and Dui corners. In total, eight high platforms need to be constructed and inscribed with numerous array patterns to serve as array cores. This will significantly reduce the burden and enhance the spiritual energy within the mountain."

Liu Changdie and the other two rose and left the courtyard, walking around the mountain several times to confirm each location. With Li Tongya's approval, the entire Li family immediately sprang into action. Artisans from the four towns were summoned to Lijing Town.

Over a thousand artisans ascended the mountain. The village guards transported wood and stone materials up the mountain. For several days, under Liu Changdie's direction, they began pouring the platforms at the designated array core locations. The dimensions and structures were very strict, and different array cores required different materials, involving quite complex processes.

A mountain protection array, unlike smaller arrays that protect individual cave dwellings and often only require an array disc, has a long construction period, taking five to six months to set up from start to finish. Liu Changdie would need to stay at the Li family for over half a year, as determining the array's layout and engraving the patterns could not be done without him.

Li Xuanxuan found a small courtyard for Liu Changdie at the foot of the mountain, making daily communication convenient. Liu Changdie lived up to expectations, walking around the mountain daily and personally supervising the work, showing that he truly took this matter to heart.

Just as Li Xuanxuan had finished arranging the artisans, clan soldiers from below reported that people from the Lu family had arrived, and the wedding was scheduled for the next few days.

"So soon?" Li Xuanxuan frowned slightly, secretly wondering about Lu Sisi's physical condition. Although Qi Refining cultivators generally had a lifespan of two hundred years, it was common for them to suffer severe injuries during their lives, damaging their fundamental health and shortening their lifespan by a decade or so. Could it be that Lu Sisi's body was failing?

"Let them come up to see me," he instructed. Li Xuanxuan also put Li Xuanling's wedding on the agenda and began giving instructions for the ceremony in a few days.

Lijing Mountain was bustling with activity, and the areas below were also fervently busy. The thousands of people from the Li family's minor clan and branch lineages lived scattered around the foothills of Lijing Mountain, with every household decorated with lanterns and streamers, dotting the verdant mountainside with splashes of red.

Several high-ranking members of the Li family knew that the alliance between the Li and Lu families was a move of last resort for the Lu family. Li Qiuyang, a representative of the minor clan, also made a rough guess. However, the minor clans and branch lineages below knew little, only hearing that the Lu family was a large clan from the east that had been entrenched there for two or three hundred years. They were all delighted by the marriage between the two immortal clans and voluntarily decorated their homes with lanterns and streamers, making the mountain area vibrant and lively!

Li family disciples gathered at the village entrance, curiously peering at the distant carriages. Someone immediately said, "I heard the bride is even a cultivator with spiritual apertures!"

"The Lu family's sincerity is truly remarkable... even a direct daughter with spiritual apertures is marrying over..."

The Li family's minor clan and branch lineages now numbered four thousand people, all considering themselves descendants of immortals and displaying an air of superiority everywhere. While the Ye family members were relatively well-behaved, the descendants of Li Mutian’s several concubine-born brothers were highly sought after in the four towns, with everyone trying to curry favor with them.

If Li Mutian had not, during his lifetime, established "clan overseers" within the Li family—a dedicated group of people constantly monitoring these individuals—it was likely that spoiled young masters who tyrannized the countryside and oppressed the common people would have emerged long ago. However, they still managed to gain small advantages daily.

The Lu family's carriages slowly approached from the Ancient Lijing Road. The street was already draped in red silk, and several clan soldiers in brocade robes stood at the street corners, watching the group of youths, ensuring that even if curious, they dared not make any overt moves, only staring longingly.

"I wonder what she looks like?"

"Brother, the Clan Overseer's office is watching! Control yourselves!"

Lu Wanrong sat in the swaying carriage, having endured a bumpy journey. A normal person would have been sick to the point of unconsciousness, but she, having some cultivation, felt relatively better.

"I thought that having spiritual apertures would give me autonomy in this life, but I never expected to become a tool for a higher-level marriage..."

The slight physical discomfort did not affect Lu Wanrong as much as the sorrow in her heart, which caused her greater pain. She listened quietly to the murmurs around her, her heart filled with confusion.

Upon arriving at the large courtyard at the foot of the mountain, Lu Wanrong was manipulated like a puppet on a string, from dawn until night. Hearing Li Xuanling's steady and resonant voice from the other side, her heart slightly eased.

During a moment of bowing, she seized an opportunity to glance over. She saw the young man opposite her had a resolute face and a distinguished appearance. He was being thoroughly fussed over by his relatives on the other side, his eyes showing a helpless yet gentle expression. The golden-red groom's wedding attire made him look exceptionally refined. Her sadness dissipated somewhat, and she thought to herself, "At least I'll spend the rest of my life facing a handsome face; that will be much easier. I heard the people below say that among the three direct sons of the Li family, Li Xuanxuan is solemn and just, Li Xuanfeng is uninhibited, and Li Xuanling is steady and gentle. He should be easy to get along with."

Pondering carefully, Lu Wanrong then considered that Li Xuanling had already reached the third level of the Qi Embryo Stage before the age of twenty, indicating he was destined to be a promising cultivator. With his steady temperament and outstanding appearance, which young man among the surrounding clans, besides An Jingming of the An family, could compare to him? Lu Sisi had used his entire family as collateral just to get her married here, making it seem as if she was marrying above her station.

Though a teenage girl might try to be dignified, her thoughts were ultimately flighty. She immediately chuckled quietly to herself, amused by her own thoughts. Moonlight streamed through the window onto her crimson sleeve. Lu Wanrong shook her sleeve, and a little hope for her future life arose in her heart.

She lowered her head, but then heard someone shout from nearby, "Patriarch! Your child has been born!"

"What?" A slightly older, surprised voice sounded, which must have been Li Xuanxuan. Hurried footsteps followed, and then a chorus of congratulations: "Double happiness! Double happiness!"

While this side of the courtyard was bustling and festive, the other side was quiet and desolate. Mu Yalou's beautiful hair was entirely damp, sticking in strands to her cheeks. Her originally cunning eyes were filled with exhaustion. She gazed lovingly at the child in the small bed, then turned her head and said coldly, "Hasn't Li Xuanxuan arrived yet?"

The servants below were terrified, kneeling and stammering, "The Patriarch... the Patriarch went to attend Young Master Xuanling's wedding and has not yet returned! This subordinate has already sent someone to inform him!"

"His own child has been born, yet he's still outside..."

No sooner had she spoken than hurried footsteps approached. Li Xuanxuan, accompanied by two attendants, pushed the door open, his voice tinged with guilt as he repeatedly said, "Luer!"

Mu Yalou glared at him. She watched him pick up the wrinkled baby. Li Xuanxuan chuckled, playing with the child for a moment, then asked, "What should we name this child?"

Mu Yalou looked up, coiled her damp hair, and said softly, "Patriarch, I have already thought of a name."

"Do tell?" Li Xuanxuan bent his head slightly, and saw a beautiful smile blossom on Mu Yalou's face as she softly said, "Li Yuanjiao."