Chapter 223: Jing Long King

Watching Li Qiuyang step forward and take it with both hands, Li Tongya instructed, "You failed your breakthrough, and your body is exhausted. This talisman water, formed from my immortal foundation, cannot be stored for long. Take it twice every three days, adjust your breathing carefully, and perhaps you can recover some of your vitality."

"Thank you, Clan Uncle!" Li Qiuyang, deeply moved, accepted the jade bottle and bowed deeply. Li Tongya smiled, "I heard you took a child from the Chen clan as a disciple. It's been many years now; how is he doing?"

Li Qiuyang nodded and replied respectfully, "The child's name is Chen Mufeng. He's from the Chen family, from the same lineage as Donghe. His talent is also quite good, even better than mine. He's twelve years old now and has just reached the third level of Embryonic Breathing."

Li Tongya raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised, and said, "Indeed, he's quite good. You've taught him well."

Li Qiuyang shook his head repeatedly and replied, "The child is naturally diligent. The bloodline of the Donghe lineage is quite extraordinary; their ancestors were likely remarkable."

Li Tongya silently noted it down, dismissed Li Qiuyang, re-fastened his long sword to his waist, and rode the wind, flying towards Mount Dali.

Following the mountain ridges along a familiar path for a while, Li Tongya landed at the base of a cliff. A large banyan tree with pale leaves stood on the slope, its white leaves fluttering down, scattering a mottled white across the ground.

As expected, a large crimson fox was sound asleep by the tree. The moment he stopped, the fox's ears sharply perked up, and it squinted at him. Seeing who it was, it lazily flopped back down and chirped, "Chi Wei is dead! Even his Golden Nature was captured. The people of the Yin Bureau specifically brought a magic treasure just to capture his Golden Nature."

"Golden Nature." Li Tongya nodded silently. He had also heard rumors that this Golden Nature was the essence of a Golden Core, the miraculous source of Golden Core cultivators, capable of transforming into various divine objects. However, he had never heard of the "people of the Yin Bureau," so he asked, "These people of the Yin Bureau..."

The fox wagged its tail, glanced at Li Tongya, and was about to speak, but suddenly it leaped up from the ground, its fox eyes wide, and exclaimed, "You... you broke through to Foundation Establishment!"

Li Tongya nodded slightly. The fox's expression immediately fell; it rolled on the ground and cried out in exasperation, "Argh... argh, this makes me so angry! I'm still lingering at Qi Refining level six or seven, but you've become Foundation Establishment. It makes me miserable!"

This fox was straightforward, speaking whatever was on its mind, which made Li Tongya smile knowingly. The fox then said languidly, "How would I know so much? I just hear the higher-ranking demons say these things, so I learn to talk like them."

After speaking, it raised its head, sniffed at Li Tongya, and gnashed its teeth, asking, "What kind of immortal foundation have you cultivated?"

Li Tongya paused slightly and replied gently, "Vast Ocean."

"Vast Ocean?" The fox shook its head in confusion, stroked its whiskers, thought for a moment, and then exclaimed in sudden realization, "It's the Jing Dragon King!"

"Jing Dragon King?" Now it was Li Tongya's turn to be puzzled. The fox chuckled and replied, "Isn't it the immortal foundation that's adept at water veins, knows droughts and floods, doesn't startle crabs or shrimp, doesn't disturb fish or turtles, and can imbue talismans with water?"

"Exactly." Li Tongya had originally intended to conceal it, but seeing how clearly the fox understood, he simply cupped his hands and admitted it. The fox then chuckled, "In ancient times, this immortal foundation was called the Jing Dragon King. Demonic creatures like snakes and dragons often forged this immortal foundation, hence its name. I hear it's quite good."

It paused, then smilingly took the spiritual rice Li Tongya offered and continued, "On the northern foothills of Mount Dali, there once was a rogue Foundation Establishment cultivator with the Jing Dragon King immortal foundation who practiced here. He entered the mountain and killed several demons, lacking foresight, offending several demon generals, and was then driven out. I witnessed that fight, and when I returned, I paid attention to this immortal foundation, which is why I know a bit about it."

Li Tongya nodded. The fox rolled over, found a comfortable position to lie down, and then asked, "Adult immortal cultivator of Foundation Establishment, you've come into the mountain to find me. What do you need to command?"

Li Tongya saw the playful look on the fox's face, knowing it was a jest, and replied, "I wouldn't dare to command. I merely wish to ask, do you know where one might find this precious medicine in the mountains?"

"Precious medicine? Most of it is owned, though some might be unknown to demons..." The fox raised its head and waved a paw, saying, "But if I knew, would I leave it for you? I'd have swallowed it myself long ago to improve my cultivation! These precious medicines in the mountains are like your cultivators' spirit rice. Every single one of them is openly recorded in the demon cave's ledger, clearly itemized and watched over by assigned demons. Once they mature, they're sent to the demon cave. It's not a good idea to scheme after them! If you were a rogue cultivator, it would be easy; you could just snatch the medicine and leave. But your home is at the foot of the mountain; offending the demon cave would not be a wise move."

Li Tongya nodded slightly, thanked it, pondered for a few breaths, and then asked, "If there's nowhere to find it in the mountains, do you know where else one might search for this precious medicine? An elder of mine recently broke through, and my family has a close relationship with theirs, and we also need something from them. We need to send them something respectable."

The fox wagged its tail, pointed a paw towards the territory of the Shan Yue, and replied, "Currently, the only option is to search within the Shan Yue territory. There are only a few Foundation Establishment cultivators there; you just need to carefully bypass them. The Shan Yue aren't good at farming, so large areas are dense forests. If you search carefully for a few years, you'll probably find something."

"Thank you, fellow Daoist." Li Tongya sighed inwardly, having made a decision, and mused, "In just three months, it's unlikely I'll find it just by searching. This expense ultimately can't be avoided. I'll first go for a look around the Shan Yue territory, and then I'll have to visit the nearby markets as well."

The fox's dark, gleaming eyes darted about, and it tentatively asked, "What kind of congratulatory gift requires precious medicine? Could it be for a Purple Mansion cultivator? Is that elder of yours... the newly advanced True Man of the Xiao family?"

Li Tongya and this White Banyan Fox had been acquainted for decades. After a brief consideration, he replied, "Indeed, it is that True Man. He has now left Qingchi, and my family intends to enlist him as a strong ally."

The fox narrowed its eyes and thought for a few breaths, then suddenly its expression changed, and it cried out, "That True Man's divine ability seems to be 'Old Man by the Stream,' and your 'Vast Ocean' is one of his Dao references. You must be careful; do not consume any elixirs or spiritual medicines he sends you. Your younger brother's lesson is still fresh; don't become someone else's supplement."

The fox was clearly very concerned. Li Tongya nodded in thanks and said in a low voice, "The Xiao family specifically sent someone to speak with me about the Dao reference matter. They intended to be frank and clear to avoid any suspicion. As for consuming elixirs, as you mentioned..."

Li Tongya recalled carefully for a while, finally unearthing a distant memory from the depths of his mind, and said gravely, "Only when I was at the fourth level of Embryonic Breathing did the True Man give me a single medicinal powder. Just that one. It shouldn't be related to this..."

"As long as you know." The fox lowered its head, languidly counting the spiritual rice, and replied, "I came down from the demon cave, and I don't have many friends in the mountains; there are many who want to eat me. I imagine your human world isn't much different. I'll take care of myself, and you shouldn't get eaten either... A hundred years from now, we can still chat under this tree."

Li Tongya stared at it for a moment, then chuckled softly, "Okay."