Chapter 257: Guest Minister

Liu Changdie waved his hand upon hearing this and smiled, "I might as well be straightforward. These fifty or sixty spirit stones are already the cost. What I seek is not these spirit stones, but a favor!"

Only then did Li Xuanfeng nod in sudden understanding and reply, "Brother Changdie, please speak freely. If it's within my family's capabilities, we certainly won't refuse!"

Liu Changdie paused slightly, mentally organizing his thoughts, and then said softly, "I have been immersed in array formations for many years. As my understanding of array principles deepens, it becomes increasingly difficult to discern the intricacies of array patterns. If I could acquire an insight technique, it would surely double my efforts with half the work and help me advance further!"

"Unfortunately, I have diligently searched for years in this county, but all the immortal cultivators guard their techniques jealously, hiding their spell formulas tightly. I have struggled to find a way. If your esteemed family possesses such an insight technique that I could study for a while, let alone this Earthlock Huaqian Formation, I wouldn't mind setting up another formation as well..."

Liu Changdie naturally knew that the Li family possessed an insight technique called "Spirit Eye Cleansing Pupil." In his previous life, he had coveted it greatly but had never managed to acquire it. Now that he was on good terms with the Li family, he intended to seize the opportunity to ask for this spell.

"Oh?" Li Xuanfeng suddenly raised an eyebrow, causing Liu Changdie to secretly feel a tremor of alarm. Putting down his teacup, Li Xuanfeng silently pondered, "Is this still a coincidence? Liu Changdie is strange and unpredictable, yet he shows goodwill towards my family. Before, I didn't know his background, and our family only had cultivators at the Qi Refining stage, so I didn't dare invite him as a guest elder. I also discussed this with Brother Xuan a few days ago. Perhaps now is a good opportunity..."

So he deliberately kept him in suspense, frowning, and said, "So that's it. It so happens that my family does possess an insight technique, but there has never been a precedent for teaching it to outsiders."

"Changdie was presumptuous!" Liu Changdie lowered his head, a little disheartened, and apologized. But Li Xuanfeng could not help but laugh heartily and replied, "If Brother Changqing holds our family in high regard and becomes a guest elder here, then it wouldn't be breaking any rules!"

"Is that true?!" Liu Changdie was naturally overjoyed and quickly asked. He had been constantly trying to curry favor with the Li family; if he hadn't been afraid of appearing too eager and being suspected of ulterior motives, he would have already asked about becoming a guest elder. Seeing Li Xuanfeng nod, he said happily, "This is excellent, truly excellent!"

With good news, one's spirits soar. In his previous life, in order to achieve breakthroughs, Liu Changdie had spent most of his life humble and subservient, often being scolded and manipulated; he was never a prominent figure. Now that he was about to become a guest elder of the Li family, his tone immediately became more eager, and he asked, "I heard that the main family moved the array disk from Yuting Mountain to Huazhong Mountain. Is it still convenient to use?"

"Speaking of that... I was actually going to ask you about it," Li Xuanfeng said, shaking his head. "This grand array was effective for cultivators in the middle to late stages of Qi Refining on Yuting Mountain, but on Huazhong Mountain, its power is only suitable for the early Qi Refining stage. Do you know why, brother?"

Liu Changdie replied with an air of certainty, "An array disk isn't something that can form an array just by placing it anywhere. If I'm not mistaken, the array disk on Yuting Mountain was set up specifically for the spiritual ley lines there. When you simply moved it to Huazhong Mountain, it naturally lost much of its power!"

He waved his hand, confidently assuring him, "In a few days, I'll go to Huazhong Mountain and modify the array disk. You can leave it to me!"

Li Xuanfeng naturally thanked him repeatedly. After they chatted and laughed for a while, Li Xuanfeng said, "I will go and report this to the elder. Regarding the matter of Huaqian Mountain, my grand-nephew will remain there. Brother Changdie can discuss the details with Yuanjiao."

Both Liu Changdie and Li Yuanjiao acknowledged this. Li Xuanfeng then took his leave, riding the wind away. Li Yuanjiao turned back and asked, "Senior, what kind of spiritual materials will you need, and how much labor? I will go and prepare them immediately."

Liu Changdie's mouth twitched upon hearing this, and he said awkwardly, "Don't call me Senior... Brother Yuanjiao. I'll write down all the requirements, and then you can go procure them."

"This humble one, this humble one would not dare not be diligent..." Shamoli broke out in a cold sweat, lowering his head, his eyes fixed on the bluestone ground. His mind was a blur, and he mumbled a vague reply. Li Tongya, sitting in the seat of honor, glanced at him and said, "Come forward!"

Shamoli quickly stood up and took two steps forward. Li Tongya looked at him, his brow slightly furrowed, and thought to himself, "While the 'Purple Thunder Secret Origin Art' is indeed powerful, it also harms one's essence. This Shamoli is fond of wine and women, indulging in nightly pleasures to produce offspring. It seems he also likes consuming various spiritual items in the mountains, leading to his vitality being weak. If he continues like this daily, he likely won't live for a hundred years."

Seeing his timid appearance, and considering how diligent this man had been over the years, Li Tongya simply instructed, "Your cultivation method requires nourishing your essence and recovering. Don't overexert yourself."

Shamoli, unsure if he had truly absorbed it, meekly agreed. Li Tongya said no more on the matter, gently thinking of his own junior relatives, and mused, "With Shamoli's example, I could find some spiritual items and elixirs for Qinghong that nurture vitality and strengthen the foundation..."

Li Tongya was most attentive to these juniors, even placing his own children after those of his brothers. He carefully noted this matter in his mind and said, "Your eldest son has already begun cultivating. He went up the mountain to seek Xuanxuan and received the Li surname; he is also quite promising. Once the child achieves Qi Refining, you can yield your position to him and come up the mountain to cultivate properly."

Li Tongya's words left no room for negotiation. Shamoli felt no dissatisfaction upon hearing this; in fact, he was slightly touched and grateful. Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining were entirely different stages. Li Tongya was already being quite courteous; back on Mount Wu, a group of great shamans used Qi Refining cultivators as medicinal ingredients. The Shanyue people had long learned to submit and await orders, and Shamoli was no exception. He immediately said, "Thank you! Thank you, Old Ancestor!"

"Hm." Seeing his submissive demeanor, Li Tongya smiled and said, "A good Lord of Shanyue, and eventually you'll only be able to cultivate in a secret chamber on the mountain. It will be a bit of a sacrifice for you."

"This humble one never had such a thought!" Shamoli had, after all, ruled Shanyue for four or five years; how could he not understand that this was the time to express his loyalty? He knelt down with a thud and said tremblingly, "If it weren't for the main family, this humble one would have long ago died in some corner of Shanyue! Now that I've cultivated to Qi Refining and govern the nation of Shanyue, what more could I be dissatisfied with? It is only right that my own son inherits the throne, which conveniently frees me to concentrate on cultivation and enjoy the spiritual energy of the immortal mountain. This humble one is eternally grateful!"

After hearing this, Li Tongya, still gazing at the sword in his hand, nodded and said, "Not bad, you've made significant progress. Stay on the mountain for a few months. In a few months, the family will be bringing back some demonic beasts. You can come along and contribute then."

"This humble one understands."

"You may withdraw."

Shamoli slowly left the courtyard, feeling his back drenched in cold sweat. He descended the mountain in a daze, his mind still faintly recalling the glinting cold sword. It was a long while before he came back to his senses and murmured, "The Li family... the main family now has a Foundation Establishment cultivator presiding. That's a great thing. I am at ease, and the main family no longer fears me causing trouble. There's no longer any worry of being discarded after being used."

As Shamoli walked along the flagstone path, the members of the Li family appeared one by one in his mind, from Li Xiangping and Li Tongya, to Li Xuanfeng and Li Xuanling, and then to Li Xuanxuan, Li Yuanxiu, Li Yuanjiao, and Li Qinghong. His heart was filled with both relief and emotion.

"Coming to the main family many years ago was just a whim, yet I boarded this grand ship... A single wrong thought could have led to me becoming someone's slave or a corpse in the forest, while a single right thought allowed me to become the lord of a nation, cultivating Qi and riding the winds."

"A life of myriad hardships, a mind filled with countless schemes, none of them compare to that single difference in thought. The rise and fall of fate between heaven and earth is utterly absurd."

He was only a little over forty years old, yet the ups and downs he had experienced were more than ten times greater than those of an ordinary person. As he walked along the mountain path, his steps became increasingly light.