Chapter 138: Stepping Through the Rapids of the River

Li Tongya returned home. Li Xuanfeng had not yet returned from the county, so Li Tongya went back to his cave dwelling on Meichi Peak. He opened the stone door, lightly patted his storage bag, and a simple long sword immediately appeared in his hand.

"This long sword... its material isn't particularly remarkable."

He picked up the long sword, examined it thoroughly, and noticed the character "Yu" carved on the hilt. He finally understood why it felt so familiar.

"So, it belongs to the Lingyu Gate."

Li Tongya's spiritual sense stirred, and the River Primordial Essence within him surged out, flowing from his palm into the long sword. White light immediately flashed on the sword.

Li Tongya channeled ten percent of his spiritual power into it. Immediately, the sound of rushing water colliding emanated from the sword. His eyes brightened, and he continued to pour more Primordial Essence into the sword.

It was important to note that after receiving the "Heavy Sea Long Whale Seal," Li Tongya's spiritual power was astonishingly profound. The River Primordial Essence condensed by the "River One-Energy Art" was already abundant, and now just ten percent of his spiritual power was equivalent to a significant portion of a typical early-stage Qi Condensation cultivator's total power. The sounds of rushing water colliding from the sword became increasingly intense.

Li Tongya channeled his spiritual power for several breaths. Suddenly, one stroke of the character "Yu" on the sword's hilt lit up. It took a full incense stick's time for the entire character "Yu" to be illuminated, consuming fifty percent of Li Tongya's Primordial Essence.

"This far exceeds what a peak Qi Condensation cultivator could do. It seems this sword was originally meant to screen cultivators who practiced the 'River One-Energy Art' and were establishing their foundation."

Li Tongya recalled the "Great River Mausoleum Scripture" and immediately understood. He mused to himself:

"Judging by what Zhang Yun said back then, this 'River One-Energy Art' is likely a prerequisite for the 'Great River Mausoleum Scripture.' If I can decipher that jade slip, my family will possess a complete Purple Mansion inheritance!"

As he pondered this, the long sword in his hand hummed, leaping into the air. Shimmering water light radiated from it, projecting lines of text onto the stone cave walls.

"'Torrential River Striding Steps'?"

Li Tongya was overjoyed. Movement techniques were the rarest among various cultivation methods; not only were they expensive, but he had also never seen any family offering them for sale. He stared excitedly at the shimmering stone wall, memorizing each part of the movement technique. The sword's light flickered for the duration of an incense stick before slowly fading.

This "Torrential River Striding Steps" was a movement technique from the Lingyu Gate, sealed within the sword by a senior named Xiao Xianyou. The text mentioned that he had attained enlightenment on this technique while on the Great Ling River. At the end, a small technique called "Blood Escape Art" was also included, a life-saving escape spell that consumed vital energy and lifespan in critical moments.

"'Torrential River Striding Steps,' a third-grade movement technique. Xiao Xianyou sealed the Lingyu Gate's inheritance within this sword... Using sword light to carry the legacy, it seems this senior's sword cultivation was quite profound!"

"With this movement technique, my Li family members will have a reliable method for both combat and escape. This is truly a good thing!"

Holding the sword suspended in the air with his spiritual power, Li Tongya bowed slightly to show his gratitude to the senior. A sudden flash of insight struck him, and he murmured as if by divine inspiration:

"The Xiao family of Lixia uses Lingyu Gate's cultivation methods as their inheritance, and this senior also has the surname Xiao. Could he be an ancestor of the Lixia Xiao family?"

Putting the sword away, Li Tongya mused about visiting the Xiao family one day to inquire further. He then retrieved a jade slip and carefully began inscribing the information onto it with his spiritual sense.

Li Xuanfeng landed in Guanyun Peak Market. The foot traffic there was significantly less than in previous years. After all, previous visits had coincided with tribute payment days, when many families would come to the market to trade. Since it was an ordinary day now, it was naturally not as lively as before.

Li Xuanfeng entered a fur shop and called over several shop assistants who were in the Fetal Breath realm. He took out the bear meat, which had been frozen and spirit-sealed by a spell in his brocade pouch, and it immediately clattered onto the ground.

"See how many spirit stones this is worth!"

The assistants nodded repeatedly. Seeing that it was a demonic beast of the Qi Condensation realm, they quickly summoned the shop owner. The Qi Condensation cultivator, dressed in leather, estimated its value and smiled:

"Fellow Daoist, this bear's flesh and blood are rich in spiritual energy, and it hasn't been dead long. It's worth twenty-one spirit stones."

Li Xuanfeng nodded. Having hunted demonic beasts for years, he was very familiar with the intricacies of such transactions. The price wasn't far from his own estimate, so he readily agreed, and the deal was concluded.

After putting away the twenty-one spirit stones, Li Xuanfeng felt satisfied with his earnings. As he walked a few steps with a smile, a young man wearing a fox fur cloak approached him, looked intently at Li Xuanfeng, and smiled:

"Brother Xuanfeng, we meet again!"

"Brother Changdie!"

Li Xuanfeng clasped his hands in greeting. The person was indeed Liu Changdie, holding several jade beads in his hand, his fox fur cloak as white as snow. He spoke:

"Changdie was looking for some array formation materials in this market, but I didn't expect to run into Brother Xuanfeng! What a rare coincidence. Come, come, let's sit down somewhere. My treat!"

After speaking, he pulled Li Xuanfeng towards a restaurant in the market. Li Xuanfeng was also in good spirits, so he nodded with a smile and followed him into the establishment.

"Is the Yi Xuan Guang Formation still working well since that day?"

"It's working perfectly!"

The two ordered several dishes and had wine brought to their table. After chatting for a while, Liu Changdie pondered for a few breaths and mused to himself:

"It's only about a decade or so until that demonic disaster. I wonder if this person has any information, but since the afflicted parties were the Green Pond Sect and the Tangjin Gate, Li Xuanfeng might not know."

Liu Changdie had a change of thought and mused:

"Still, it's worth asking. What if there's something to gain?"

So he smiled at Li Xuanfeng and, seemingly casually, asked:

"Brother Xuanfeng, do you know someone named Jiang Yan?"

"Jiang Yan?"

Li Xuanfeng thought for a moment, drew a blank, and smiled:

"I've never heard of them. Why? Are you looking for this person?"

"Haha, just asking!"

Liu Changdie quickly changed the subject, feeling quite helpless. In this life, he had thought he could achieve great things, but it turned out that apart from faster cultivation from scratch and his returned array cultivation, there was almost nothing else he could utilize.

The powerful figures of his previous life had not yet risen to prominence at this point, but they had also never widely publicized how they achieved their rise. This made it impossible for Liu Changdie to seize opportunities ahead of others. He only remembered some major events from his past life and at least managed to connect with a few promising individuals.

For the past few months, he had been quite dispirited, spending his days carving array formations for others to earn spirit stones, feeling quite uncertain about his future. Looking at the carefree Li Xuanfeng before him, he couldn't help but feel a touch of envy, and he smiled:

"Brother Xuanfeng, what do you think is the meaning of life?"

Li Xuanfeng was stunned, a little exasperated, and waved his hand:

"It's just for the sake of enjoying oneself!"

As soon as he spoke, a defiant and unrestrained aura emanated from him. Liu Changdie, with an incredulous look, responded:

"Brother Xuanfeng, what you've said is almost demonic, quite similar to what those demonic cultivators who bring about chaos and destruction would say..."

Li Xuanfeng laughed heartily, picked up a slice of demonic beast meat, took a sip of wine, and said with a smile:

"Whether it's the righteous path or the demonic path, when the major sects now treat human lives like grass, what difference is there from the demonic path? Common people merely struggle to survive. Xuanfeng doesn't care about much in this world; as long as my family isn't bullied, I can live freely, drinking and eating meat, regardless of whether heaven and earth collapse!"

Setting down his wine cup, Li Xuanfeng said earnestly:

"Nine times out of ten, life is unsatisfying. When things are difficult, you grit your teeth and get through it. When things are good, you should quickly enjoy yourself, otherwise, if you die one day, wouldn't it be too much of a loss?"

"Brother Xuanfeng, you truly are..."

Liu Changdie gave a wry smile. Seeing Li Xuanfeng's carefree demeanor, he felt a sense of relaxation. Since his rebirth, he had been calculating everything, exhausting himself, but he felt quite at ease when he was with Li Xuanfeng.

"However, Brother Xuanfeng, in plain sight of everyone, some things shouldn't be said too explicitly."

Liu Changdie carefully looked around. There was already little foot traffic today, and hardly any customers in the early morning. He subtly relaxed, raised his cup, and smiled at Li Xuanfeng.

As Li Xuanfeng raised his wine cup, the image of the old man named Xu San suddenly appeared in his mind. His heart tightened, and he murmured:

"Xu San, just you wait. When the opportunity arises, I will make the Tangjin Gate see some blood!"