Chapter 211: Absolutely Impossible

Lijing Town.

Another year’s autumn rain pattered down on the earth. The mountain forests had shed all their leaves, turning the ground into a carpet of golden yellow and deep red. The woods were very quiet. From afar, a whooshing sound could be heard as a young man in a black robe, carrying a sword on his back, leaped through the forest. The youth’s lips were pressed together, his eyes slightly narrow and elongated, and his cheeks thin, exuding a cold demeanor.

Li Yuanjiao leaped onto a slender treetop, causing the branches to sway gently. He paused lightly in the air like a swallow, shifted a step, and drifted back to the ground, splashing a few drops of cold autumn rain.

“After all, the ‘Torrential River Flowing Step’ is a third-rank movement technique, and it’s extremely difficult to master. I heard that only Uncle Ling in our family managed to cultivate it in just two years; everyone else took five or six years… In three years, I’ve only managed to grasp a few forms.”

Li Yuanjiao slowly closed his eyes, his spiritual sense extending and swirling around him. He was currently eighteen years old and had broken through the Jade Capital Wheel before the year began. By his estimation, he should also be able to break through to the Qi Refining stage around the age of twenty.

The Li family had been relatively peaceful these past three years. The Xiao family had rebuilt the Ancient Li Road, leading to a significant increase in rogue cultivators passing through. Most were Spirit Embryo cultivators, but occasionally, Qi Refining rogue cultivators could also be seen. Passing rogue cultivators would rest in Lijing Town, and if they were from other cultivation families, they would often chat with the Li family members, exchanging information.

Most Spirit Embryo demonic beasts in Dali Mountain were still unintelligent and continued to wander out as usual. The Li family now had more cultivators, not only stationing them to guard but also sending people to patrol the nearby mountain forests. Over the past three years, a third-level Qi Refining demonic beast had appeared, hiding in the city and secretly preying on people. Li Xuanxuan dispatched An Zheyuan, who found and exterminated it within three days.

After drawing his sword and practicing a few forms, Li Yuanjiao’s ears twitched. He saw a middle-aged man descend before him, riding the wind. The man stood tall and straight, his eyes gleaming with vitality. His gray robe was spotless, and a faint smile touched his face as he spoke gently:

“Your movement technique is quite well-practiced.”

“Yuanjiao greets Uncle!” Li Yuanjiao sheathed his sword, bowed respectfully, and replied:

“Thank you for the compliment, Uncle. Yuanjiao is merely showing off in front of an expert.”

The man before him was Li Xuanling, who had broken through to the Qi Refining stage and cultivated River True Essence before the year began. He had emerged from seclusion, becoming the fourth Qi Refining cultivator of the Li family’s main lineage. His mastery of the ‘Torrential River Flowing Step’ was the deepest, and he pointed out all the shortcomings in Li Yuanjiao’s previous movement technique, allowing Li Yuanjiao to correct them. Only then did he smile and say:

“It seems you’ve been diligently cultivating these past few years. You broke through the Jade Capital Wheel last year. If you can break through to Qi Refining before you turn twenty, there’s hope for you to attempt Foundation Establishment.”

Watching Li Yuanjiao nod respectfully, Li Xuanling sighed and continued:

“Both you and Qinghong have been granted talisman seeds and possess spiritual orifices. Only Feng-ge’er can compare to you two; you are all promising candidates for Foundation Establishment. Do not become complacent.”

After they chatted for a few moments, the rain in the mountains intensified. It dripped through the pale golden Sun Ritual Profound Light Array onto the treetops. Li Yuanjiao followed Li Xuanling along the stone path in the mountains for a while until they reached the courtyard.

Having reached the Qi Refining stage, Li Xuanling had True Essence protecting his body, and not a single drop of rain touched him. Li Yuanjiao’s sleeves, however, were slightly damp. Just as they approached the side courtyard, they saw Chen Donghe holding a jade slip, reading it intently under the eaves, looking quite content.

Chen Donghe, a third-level Qi Refining cultivator, was now forty years old. He had achieved Qi Refining early, which was why he appeared to be merely middle-aged with no signs of old age. He raised an eyebrow, smiled, and clasped his hands in greeting, saying:

“So, Xuanling has arrived.”

Li Xuanling laughed heartily and replied:

“Brother-in-law and I haven’t seen each other for several years. I was in secluded cultivation breaking through in the past few years, and after emerging, you went to Huaqian Mountain. Since you’ve finally returned, of course, I had to come see you.”

Lijing Mountain was not a renowned mountain range; its spiritual energy concentration was limited. It was sufficient to support Spirit Embryo cultivators without issue. However, with so many Qi Refining cultivators in the Li family now, there was naturally a scarcity of resources.

Li Tongya was currently attempting to break through to Foundation Establishment, so the entire Meichi Peak cave dwelling had been set aside for his sole use. The remaining Lijing Peak was barely sufficient to support Li Xuanfeng and Li Xuanxuan. Now, with Li Xuanling added to the number, the spiritual energy was naturally even sparser. Therefore, Chen Donghe had been sent to Huaqian Mountain, which meant he didn't return often.

The three entered the courtyard. Chen Donghe stepped forward and whispered:

“Magic swords.”

Li Xuanling and the other person immediately understood, putting their magic swords from their waists into their storage bags. Magic swords were mostly forged from sharp, metallic materials, and Li Jingting and others in the side courtyard were mere mortals, easily susceptible to sharp energies.

The three entered the room. There was only a small side table by the window. Li Jingting wore a jade hairpin, and a girl knelt beside her, leaning by the window and watching the autumn rain. Hearing them, she turned her head, saw Li Xuanling enter the room, and said gently:

“Brother Ling is back.”

Li Xuanling chuckled, stepped forward, and took the girl’s hand. The child obediently looked up, her face rosy, and said sweetly:

“Uncle.”

The child before them was Li Jingting’s daughter, named Li Qingxiao, who was now just over two years old, almost three, and very well-behaved. Li Xuanling watched as Li Jingting took Li Qingxiao away. Li Yuanjiao and Chen Donghe both took their seats. Chen Donghe said with some confusion:

“The family called me back this time; I wonder what important matter it is…”

Li Xuanling nodded and said gravely:

“Since Father entered secluded cultivation in the Meichi Mountain cave dwelling a year ago, all the spiritual energy of Meichi Mountain has flowed upwards, and even mist has surged around the cave dwelling, which is quite wondrous.”

“Another year passed, and faint sounds of water emerged from within the cave dwelling. At midnight, the sound of flowing rivers could be heard, and clear water seeped from the brick cracks outside the cave, making the ground sparkle everywhere.”

Chen Donghe heard about the auspicious signs of breaking through to Foundation Establishment for the first time, his face filled with yearning. He also cultivated the ‘River One Qi Art,’ so he listened with particular focus, sighing:

“Everyone says that only after cultivating an Immortal Foundation does one truly achieve wondrous abilities. It is indeed so!”

Li Xuanling took a sip of tea, glanced at Li Yuanjiao, whose face was full of yearning, and whispered:

“The night before last, the cave dwelling became completely silent, and dew no longer condensed on the ground. There has been no activity for two days now.”

“What?”

Chen Donghe raised an eyebrow, slightly startled, and murmured:

“He must have succeeded… Second Uncle is such a person; he would never fail.”

Li Tongya always planned carefully before acting. Chen Donghe had revered him since childhood. Since Li Tongya entered seclusion, Chen Donghe had never considered the possibility of his failure. The Li family had no precedent for breaking through to Foundation Establishment, and now hearing news whose implications were unclear, Chen Donghe’s heart felt hollow, and he was momentarily speechless.

In a trance, Chen Donghe’s mind replayed various past events: his cultivation of the ‘River One Qi Art,’ his practice of the ‘Profound Water Sword Art,’ his diligent cultivation day and night.

That year, when he was just a seven-year-old child, Chen Donghe knelt in the courtyard. The autumn wind was bleak, and the cold was biting. From the head seat, Li Tongya smiled at Li Xiangping and said:

“This child acts prudently; he might be useful.”

At that time, tiny Chen Donghe looked up, meeting Li Tongya’s calm and profound eyes from the head seat. His heart filled with admiration and respect, he secretly thought:

“I want to become such a person too.”

Chen Donghe suddenly realized that his steady and quiet demeanor, his calm and unruffled bearing, and his habit of acting only after careful consideration were all imitations of this senior figure who had earned the admiration of countless people and the awe of all the families on the lake. Li Xiangping was like his father, and Li Tongya was like his mentor.

This realization left Chen Donghe both dazed and relieved. He gently picked up a teacup, took a sip of clear tea, masking the fear that had risen in his heart.

The possibility of Li Tongya failing to break through lingered in his mind for a moment. Chen Donghe smiled and said:

“Absolutely impossible!”