Chapter 232: Upper Lang Cultivation Technique

Lingyanzi's actions finally revealed some sincerity. Li Tongya lowered his gaze, scanning the array of miscellaneous items. He saw a small pile of Qi-Incubation artifacts of various styles: gourds, longswords, jade tablets—everything imaginable. It seemed they were spoils from killing and plundering.

"I've finally caught a disciple from an immortal sect," Li Tongya thought to himself, "I can't let him pay with these."

Li Tongya mused silently. The Three Sects and Seven Gates possessed numerous cultivation techniques, secret arts, and treasure records, not to mention many marvelous secret formulas and medicinal recipes. If this fellow were to use common, readily available items as payment, Li Tongya would absolutely refuse.

Seeing this, Lingyanzi gave an awkward smile and explained, "My Immortal Peak is about to recruit disciples, so I specifically kept this batch of Qi-Incubation artifacts to bestow upon the new recruits. Otherwise, I would have long since exchanged them for spirit stones and given them to fellow Daoist."

"Oh!" Li Tongya nodded slightly, his heart suddenly stirring, but he said no more. He looked at a few bottles of pills; the best was a bottle of Foundation Establishment-grade 'Return to True' pills. He simply held it for a moment, pondering:

"Breaking through to Foundation Establishment is impossible without two or three decades of painstaking effort. This pill would only speed it up by two or three years at most, and my life's cultivation would likely stop at Foundation Establishment anyway. There's no rush; it's better to find things useful for the younger generation."

He gently put the pill down, which surprised Lingyanzi, causing him to pause slightly and think, "Li Tongya didn't take the 'Return to True' pill... He must be under the protection of a Sword Immortal and is accustomed to such pills, so he doesn't value them. Then he probably won't be impressed by anything else in my storage bag either..."

As expected, Li Tongya looked at the few Qi Condensation pills, then rummaged through the remaining miscellaneous items, frowning slightly. He whispered, "Fellow Daoist Lingyanzi, are these all you have left? Do you perhaps have any valuable cultivation techniques or secret manuals that could serve as payment?"

Lingyanzi gave a bitter smile and replied, "I do, but they are only Qi Condensation and Qi-Incubation cultivation arts. You probably wouldn't find them impressive now, and yet they're quite expensive, almost as if I were trying to take advantage of you."

Unlike Lingyanzi, who only had himself to worry about in immortal sect cultivation, Li Tongya had a large family to care for. Hearing this, he said with delight, "No matter, please take them out for me to see."

Lingyanzi glanced at him, suddenly understanding much more. He unfastened a crimson pouch from his waist and chuckled, "The secret essentials of various sects are the most precious. This is a Law-Concealing Pouch; it's connected to my spiritual energy, and I can destroy its contents with a mere thought."

Li Tongya nodded. He watched Lingyanzi take out several jade slips and arrange them, then picked up one to read.

"'Supreme Lang Cultivation Wheel Method,' a Qi-Incubation Realm cultivation technique, third-grade."

Li Tongya's heart was greatly stirred, and his eyes could no longer move away. The Li family's best Qi-Incubation cultivation method was naturally the 'Grand Yin Qi Condensation and Cultivation Wheel Scripture,' but it couldn't be written, spoken, or taught; only cultivators who had received the talisman seed could practice it.

The second best were the second-grade Qi-Incubation methods collected over the years, provided for the main and branch family disciples. The remaining was the 'Green Origin Cultivation Wheel Method' left by Si Yuanbai, which was only first-grade and provided for cultivators not of the Li surname; it was rather common, and the generally lower cultivation levels of non-Li cultivators in the family over the years were partly due to this method.

There was also a Qi-Incubation method attached to the 'Court-Knocking Garrison Guard Art' that allowed Qi-Incubation cultivators to quickly advance to Qi Condensation, but it would significantly extend the time to break through from Qi Condensation to Foundation Establishment. Li Tongya planned to use it to cultivate loyal clan soldiers, but considering the main family still had too few Qi Condensation cultivators and no suitable candidates, he had not yet introduced it.

"Although there are currently no main family cultivators who haven't received the talisman seed, as the family prospers, such disciples will certainly become more numerous. Besides those who have received the talisman seed, other main family disciples can only cultivate the second-grade methods, which is still too poor. This third-grade method is worth acquiring."

He then picked up the other two jade slips Lingyanzi had displayed. Li Tongya read them one by one; both were second-grade Qi Condensation techniques, of which the family already had several. They were neither valuable enough nor necessary to acquire. So, Li Tongya picked up the Qi-Incubation method and whispered, "How much is this cultivation method valued at?"

"It's just a Qi-Incubation method," Lingyanzi waved his hand, then said earnestly, "Since you've chosen this method, there are some things I must tell you. This 'Supreme Lang Cultivation Wheel Method' is an art from the ancient Immortal Sect, Tianlang Platform, and it is particularly unique, incompatible with many other cultivation techniques. If one cultivates this method to the peak of Qi-Incubation and then switches to another method to break through to Qi Condensation, it might slightly reduce one's lifespan."

"Reduce lifespan?" Li Tongya immediately paused, and saw Lingyanzi nod in confirmation: "Fortunately, not by much, only three to five years. If one is lucky and the method aligns well with their physique, it will only be about half a year."

Li Tongya's mind immediately settled. This third-grade method could at least speed up cultivation by three years. Balancing it out, it wasn't too much of a loss, as the initial years were far more precious than later ones. Sometimes, an advantage of merely three or four years could mean the difference between a Qi-Incubation cultivator and a Qi Condensation cultivator, or a Qi Condensation cultivator and a Mixed Qi cultivator; in more severe cases, it could even be the difference between a Qi Condensation cultivator and a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Although Li Tongya had accepted it in his heart, he feigned a hint of hesitation on his face, pretending to be displeased. He swept his gaze across the miscellaneous items before him and said in a deep voice, "Then there's nothing else worth exchanging! I'll use this item as payment!"

"This..." Lingyanzi paused slightly. The relics of the two Changxiao Gate cultivators had been sorted and sold by him back then. After all, these two were disciples of the Three Sects and Seven Gates, far wealthier than ordinary rogue cultivators—by more than ten times. The miscellaneous items alone yielded nearly two hundred spirit stones, which was a considerable sum.

However, this cultivation method was, after all, third-grade, often priceless and unavailable in the market. Two hundred spirit stones was certainly a stretch, not to mention he had just given Li Tongya twenty spirit stones. But seeing Li Tongya's displeased expression, he ultimately said nothing, just sighed faintly, accepting the deal.

Li Tongya's expression softened. He chatted with Lingyanzi for a few moments, then said gently, "I heard your peak is recruiting disciples. How is that progressing?"

Lingyanzi gently shook his head and replied, "My peak is in the most awkward position within the Purple Smoke Sect. In terms of resources, cultivation methods, status, or power, we are the weakest... hence, there has been no progress."

Lingyanzi looked as if he wanted to speak but held back. He ultimately did not divulge the unsavory affairs within the Purple Smoke Sect, merely drinking silently. Clearly, he had touched upon a painful subject and fell into immediate silence.

Li Tongya offered a few words of comfort, then said gently, "How about this: you leave word with me, Senior. If I find any opportunities, or if any outstanding younger disciples emerge, perhaps I could send them to your peak to help you out."

Lingyanzi had never thought in this direction. Hearing this, he was greatly moved. After thinking it over carefully, he felt there was much potential. He clapped his hands together and exclaimed with joy, "Precisely! Tong... Brother Wan, helping my peak from the outside—this old man couldn't ask for more!"

After speaking, he made solemn promises and swore oaths, asserting that any Li family descendants sent would be treated well. Li Tongya simply chuckled softly, saying nothing. Having learned from Li Chijng's experience, how could he still believe Lingyanzi's empty words? Furthermore, he didn't really understand the Purple Smoke Sect's ways; he was simply laying casual groundwork. When Lingyanzi's words became extravagant, Li Tongya merely echoed a couple of affirmative remarks, then said with feigned difficulty, "Senior, please don't be like that. I haven't made any guarantees; I still need to return and ask the Sword Immortal."

"Of course! Of course!" Lingyanzi chuckled. The Purple Smoke Sect was already weak among the Three Sects and Seven Gates, and his peak was even more dilapidated. If a disciple from a Sword Immortal family were to join, it would certainly be a great blessing.

So he tilted his head, thought for a moment, and took out a jade tablet from his storage bag. On it were the characters 'Purple Smoke,' and on the back, 'Violet Qi Peak.'

Li Tongya nodded, then with a flick of his wrist, put it away. Only then did he cup his hands and say in a low voice, "I have troubled fellow Daoist."

Lingyanzi laughed heartily, chatted a few more sentences, then took a sip of his wine and cupped his hands in farewell.

Li Tongya nodded gently, watching the old man depart on the wind. He sat before the table for more than ten breaths before finally picking up his chopsticks. Just then, an ancient, weathered voice sounded in his ear:

"Come to Xianyou Peak."