Chapter 128: The Sun Ceremony Profound Light Formation

The array on Mount Lijing had been under construction for over half a year, and after a rushed effort, it was finally completed by the end of the year. Eight towering platforms stood prominently on the two peaks, catching the eye. Liu Changdie let out a sigh of relief and went to find Li Xuanxuan to get the formation flags.

The formation flags for the mountain-guarding array were, of course, to be prepared by the Li family themselves, as their quality would determine the array's effectiveness. Liu Changdie had mentioned this to Li Xuanxuan earlier, but Li Xuanxuan had kept them hidden, reluctant to produce them.

As he approached the courtyard, Liu Changdie saw Li Xuanxuan wearing simple leather clothes, drawing talismans on a large pearwood table. He was using cloth as the base, and the ink seemed diluted with water, making the colors look very faint. Liu Changdie felt a surge of curiosity but also thought it might be a secret of someone else's cultivation, so he dared not ask.

Standing by the table was a child, seemingly four or five years old, quietly and intently observing Li Xuanxuan's movements. The child appeared very well-behaved.

"Brother Xuanxuan!" Liu Changdie called out. Li Xuanxuan nodded slightly, put down his brush, and smiled at him. Liu Changdie felt a strange sensation in his heart.

In his previous life, Liu Changdie had never met Li Xuanxuan when he visited the Li family, nor had he even met anyone of the 'Xuan' generation. His understanding of Li Xuanxuan was limited to what Li Yuanjiao had said. Whenever Li Yuanjiao mentioned him, he would wave his hand and say: "My old man... he's boring, quite uninteresting!"

Liu Changdie had simply chuckled, not daring to respond. Now, having spent over a year with Li Xuanxuan, he had formed his own judgment, thinking to himself: "Although this person is serious and rarely smiles, he is also diligent and works tirelessly for the family. He doesn't seem to indulge in pleasures like fine music, women, or entertainment, nor does he seem to enjoy lavish banquets... he is quite admirable."

Looking at the boy by the table, Liu Changdie smiled slightly, then turned to Li Xuanxuan and chuckled, "And this is...?"

"He is my legitimate son, named Li Yuanxiu," Li Xuanxuan said softly, picking up Li Yuanxiu.

Liu Changdie nodded, realizing. After a moment of thought, finding no prior impression of the child, he turned to the main topic and said, "I have already engraved the array patterns on the eight platforms. We can begin setting up the formation now."

Li Xuanxuan nodded with a touch of joy. He patted the brocade pouch at his waist, and twelve small flags with white patterns on black bodies flew out, circling in the air for a moment before sparkling down into Li Xuanxuan's palm. Before he could speak, Liu Changdie stared intently at the core of the formation in his hand and exclaimed, "White Feather Purple Catalpa Flags!"

Li Xuanxuan was stunned. Although he knew the items were valuable, he hadn't expected such a strong reaction from Liu Changdie. Seeing Liu Changdie's fixed gaze, he could only reply, "Indeed!"

Liu Changdie quickly took them, examining them with great fondness for a while, then praised, "Wan Huaqian was renowned throughout Lixia County back then, and her White Feather Purple Catalpa Flags were known to everyone. Later, rumors said they were sold to a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Green Pond Sect. How did your esteemed family acquire them?"

Li Xuanxuan gave an awkward smile and replied, "The Lu family seized Huaqian Mountain and obtained these flags, then sold them to my family."

"So they remained on Huaqian Mountain; that news was released to mislead people." Liu Changdie nodded in sudden realization, a hint of melancholy appearing on his face as he added, "I looked at Huaqian Mountain from afar. Wan Huaqian was able to set up an array capable of defending against cultivators at the peak of Qi Refining, using that small, low mountain, which was missing several corners. Her array mastery is still above ours!"

Seeing his dejected expression, Li Xuanxuan quickly comforted him, "Once your 'Sun Ritual Profound Light Array' is complete, it will also be able to withstand cultivators at the peak of Qi Refining. It won't be any worse than Wan Huaqian's."

"It's not the same!" Liu Changdie shook his head, lowering his voice. "We had to build eight towering platforms. Have you ever seen any platforms or array pools on Huaqian Mountain? This just shows how high Wan Huaqian's talent in array formations was."

With that, he ended the discussion and smiled at Li Xuanxuan, "Let's not waste any more time. Let's begin."

He then sat cross-legged, forming hand seals. The twelve White Feather Purple Catalpa Flags soared into the air, splitting into two groups—four flying north and eight flying south—and landed precisely in their respective array nodes. The array patterns on the high platforms all lit up, emitting faint golden light.

The two peaks, Lijing and Meichi, immediately shone with brilliant golden light and began to tremble slightly. Craftsmen and other unrelated personnel had long since been evacuated down the mountain. Streaks of shimmering light flickered up, and golden light flowed everywhere throughout the mountains.

Liu Changdie sat cross-legged, closing his eyes to adjust for the duration of an incense stick. Finally, a glittering golden array emerged on the mountain, exceptionally dazzling in the sunlight.

"I am fortunate not to have failed the task!" Liu Changdie exhaled deeply and nodded slightly. Li Tongya had already slowly entered from outside the courtyard. Both men quickly stood up and bowed respectfully, "Senior!" "Thank you for your hard work, Sir!"

Li Tongya responded, clearly pleased with the array. He nodded to Li Xuanxuan, who understood immediately. Li Xuanxuan patted his brocade pouch, then swept his sleeve across the table, causing a small pile of spirit stones, as white as jade, to clink and tumble out. Li Xuanxuan said in a deep voice, "One hundred spirit stones are all here. Sir, you may count them."

Liu Changdie's spiritual sense quickly confirmed exactly one hundred stones, but he still waved his hand dismissively, feigning generosity. "No need."

With a wave of Liu Changdie's hand, the spirit stones on the table vanished instantly. He smiled, "Now that the Sun Ritual Profound Light Array is complete, I will return to the county. If I ever visit Wangyue Lake in the future and need to stay on Mount Lijing, I hope Brother Xuanxuan won't deny me entry to the array."

"Not at all, not at all!" Li Xuanxuan shook his head and replied, "If Brother Changdie comes, Xuanxuan will personally welcome you!"

Liu Changdie laughed heartily, respectfully bade farewell to Li Tongya, took his leave of the Li family members, and headed back to Lixia County. Li Xuanxuan escorted him all the way out of the Li family's territory before returning home.

Meanwhile, Li Tongya stood before the large pearwood table, carefully examining the talisman patterns on the cloth. Beside him, Li Yuanxiu shyly gazed at Li Tongya, staring at the sword at his waist for a while. Li Tongya smiled as he looked down at the boy and softly asked, "What's your name?"

"Li Yuanxiu," the boy softly uttered. Li Tongya then smiled and said, "Call me Great-Uncle."

"Great-Uncle!" Li Yuanxiu called out. He felt an unusual closeness to the person before him and hugged his leg. The tension caused by his father's temporary absence eased considerably, and a slight smile appeared on his face as he reached out to grasp the dangling sword scabbard.

Li Jingxian descended the mountain, wearing a white veiled hat, followed by several clan soldiers. They walked along a flagstone path for a while until an imposing courtyard appeared before them. It featured green bricks, black tiles, and upturned eaves, with the slanted stones in front of the gate meticulously cleaned.

As she stepped over the stone steps, two clan soldiers immediately came forward and respectfully asked, "And you are...?"

The clan soldiers behind Li Jingxian quickly stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "What are you doing?! Don't you recognize her?! How dare you stop just anyone?!"

Li Jingxian waved her hand to stop them, and her veiled hat subtly lifted. The two clan soldiers instantly flinched and quickly retreated. Li Jingxian then whispered, "Take me to see your Seventh Mistress."

"Yes!" Li Jingxian followed the two clan soldiers through winding, crimson-lacquered corridors. A small courtyard appeared, where a woman in luxurious clothes was trimming flowers and plants. Seeing a group of people accompanying Li Jingxian, she paused, her expression a little anxious.

"And you are?" Li Jingxian removed her veiled hat, and Mu Yalu was instantly stunned. She quickly knelt down and respectfully said, "Young Lady."

"No need for formalities," Li Jingxian said with a gentle smile. She exchanged a few pleasantries with Mu Yalu, discussing recent important events, and then looked at the child in her arms, saying with a smile, "Let me see Jiao'er."

Mu Yalu froze for a moment, then forced a smile and handed the child over. Li Jingxian gently took him, holding him with a beaming smile. She carefully examined the child's eye color, and only after confirming it was a deep black did she let out a breath. She then softly asked Mu Yalu about a certain matter: "I heard... that Gani Xi, the former lord of Shanyue, has some blood relation to your family?"

At these words, Mu Yalu's ears rang as if struck by thunder. She immediately misunderstood, and her mind filled with a surge of shocked and terrified associations. Seeing Li Yuanjiao still in Li Jingxian's arms, she fell to her knees with a thud and stammered, "This must be slander by a villain! Gani Xi was born a slave, while our family has been witch-priests for generations, noble by birth! How could we be related?! Young Lady, someone must be framing me!"