Chapter 348: Bu Zi

Qingchi Sect, Qingsui Peak.

The small pavilion at the peak had changed owners several times but still stood quietly in the snow. As the golden sun rose, casting rainbow light, a young man in green robes sat cross-legged inside the pavilion, silently cultivating.

Time passed quickly. Li Xizhi had been cultivating on Qingsui Peak with Yuan Tuan for over a year. The spiritual energy on Qingsui Peak was rich; he had only broken through the third layer of Fetal Respiration before coming to Qingsui, and now he was ready to break through to the fourth layer.

"Creak."

Yuan Tuan appeared to have just returned to the mountain. Her clothes were practical, her sleeves tightly bound. She glanced into the pavilion, seeing Li Xizhi cultivating quietly as usual, and couldn't help but nod: "Xizhi is still so well-behaved."

Yuan Tuan had taken on another disciple this year, one sent by the Yuan family. Although Yuan Tuan harbored some resentment towards the Yuan family, she accepted the child. However, this child was mischievous and likely wouldn't amount to much.

The Azure Edge sword hung quietly on the wall, still the one Li Chijing had used years ago. Yuan Tuan's gaze lingered on it for a moment. Li Xizhi finally awoke from his meditation, quickly rose, and said respectfully: "Master! You've returned."

Yuan Tuan nodded and asked: "How is your sword cultivation progressing?"

"My sword aura has formed, but I'm still some distance from developing sword qi," Li Xizhi replied, sounding a bit troubled and under considerable pressure. He added: "People from within the sect constantly come, drawn by my reputation, wanting to spar with me. If you hadn't been out, locking the mountain gate, I think I would have been in trouble."

Yuan Tuan smiled slightly: "The Xiao family was attacked, so I went back to Mushroom Forest Plain a few days ago to take care of some things. I feel more at ease now. The current situation is chaotic, with demonic cultivators running rampant; it's ultimately not good to stay outside for too long."

Yuan Tuan's ability to survive alone on Qingsui Peak, forge a path to survival, and break through to the Foundation Establishment stage meant her sense for and observation of the situation were naturally extremely keen, prompting her hurried return.

"How is the Xiao family?" After all, his mother, Xiao Guiluan, was a member of the Xiao family, making them his maternal clan. Li Xizhi was naturally very concerned and quickly asked.

"They're fine," Yuan Tuan replied, taking the sword from the wall to examine it. The blade gleamed with cold light but moved obediently in her hands. She continued: "True Lord Chuting underestimated the three sects and seven gates' intent to kill the Chen family. He was trapped in the East Sea by a scheme from the Golden Feather Sect's Heavenly Core, preventing him from returning to assist. As a result, the Xiao family suffered a significant setback."

"The Xiao family serves as a barrier for our Qingchi Sect, and True Lord Chuting's 'Old Man of the Stream' is crucial. They wouldn't dare act recklessly against them. All this trouble was merely to eliminate Chen Taojing."

Yuan Tuan's words were shocking. Li Xizhi quietly committed them to memory. Just as he was about to interject, Yuan Tuan changed the subject, smiling: "Your Li family should be fine. I was near Guanyun Peak at the time and used Qing Xuanyue to bless that Li family member—who should be your granduncle—three times. At the very least, it should save his life."

Li Xizhi was overjoyed and repeatedly said: "Thank you, Master!"

"There's no need for that," Yuan Tuan's lips curled into a smile, and she chuckled: "This is my Dao Foundation, not a divine ability. At most, it's a minor assistance, not a great help."

Li Xizhi obediently offered some flattering words. Yuan Tuan seemed to be in good spirits and listened with considerable satisfaction, then suddenly asked: "Li Tongya should be gone, shouldn't he?"

Still joyful, Li Xizhi was caught off guard by the question, felt a chill run down his spine, and almost immediately replied: "Xizhi hasn't heard anything..."

Li Xizhi's reaction was undeniably swift, but his body's response couldn't be faked. Yuan Tuan, knowing this, stared intently at him and sighed: "What a pity."

Li Xizhi silently lowered his head, suppressing the unease in his heart. He was merely a fourteen or fifteen-year-old boy; how could he deceive Yuan Tuan? By the time he reacted, Yuan Tuan had already mourned for two breaths and then spoke: "If Li Tongya hadn't died, and had joined forces with Chen Taojing, Guanyun Peak might not have been lost... From now on, vulnerabilities will only increase. I hope your father can keep things hidden for a few more years."

Seeing Li Xizhi's somewhat downcast expression, Yuan Tuan comforted him: "You don't need to worry. I heard your granduncle, Li Xuanfeng, has taken leave from Yishan City to enter secluded cultivation to break through to Foundation Establishment. Once he emerges successfully, he will also be a formidable practitioner."

As Yuan Tuan spoke of this, Li Xizhi, who had been holding back some questions for a long time, quickly seized the opportunity and urgently asked: "Master! Are there any precedents for non-clan cultivators from Yishan City being recalled? If so, how can they be recalled?"

Yuan Tuan paused slightly, her face thoughtful, and whispered: "The sect has summoned cultivators in previous years. If they are direct disciples of the sect, they usually return after ten to twenty years. However, conscripted clan cultivators generally don't last more than a few years... There are precedents for their release, usually after fifty to sixty years. If someone within the sect helps intercede through their connections, they might be released sooner."

Li Xizhi nodded thoughtfully. Yuan Tuan pondered for a few breaths, swallowing some words she shouldn't speak, then changed the subject, calculating the time, and softly asked: "Have you decided what kind of spiritual energy you will absorb to achieve Qi Condensation?"

Li Xizhi remained silent for a long time, thoughts flashing through his mind, his heart pounding. Finally, with a calm expression, he smiled and said: "Whichever cultivation method has the most practitioners within the sect, that is the one this disciple will cultivate."

"Oh? And why is that?" Yuan Tuan gazed deeply at him. Li Xizhi replied: "With more people cultivating it, perhaps the path will be smoother."

"Creak—"

Before Yuan Tuan could answer, they heard a creak—the sound of the outer courtyard gate slowly opening. The expressions of both individuals in the pavilion changed. Li Xizhi frowned, while Yuan Tuan's face was filled with utter shock.

Li Xizhi, who had not yet developed spiritual sense, thought it was his junior disciple from the Yuan family coming to visit. However, Yuan Tuan's Foundation Establishment-level spiritual sense swept across the courtyard, only to find white snow falling and absolutely no one there!

"How is that possible!" Yuan Tuan's heart was greatly shaken. For someone to be completely undetectable to her, yet able to enter and leave Qingsui Peak as easily as if strolling through their own courtyard, only one type of person fit the description: "A True Lord of the Purple Mansion?!"

Yuan Tuan's face changed drastically, her heart filled with overwhelming dread. In an instant, the flow of her spiritual energy seized up, and only a few thoughts flashed through her mind...

The two had varied expressions. Outside, the person moved with the speed of wind, reaching the pavilion in two strides. They rustled off their shoes and casually stepped inside.

"Whoosh..."

The pavilion's bamboo curtain was suddenly swept aside, and a handsome, elegant cultivator in green robes walked in. He had jade adorned at his waist. Although his face was full of smiles, his eyes were cold and icy, piercing directly towards Li Xizhi.

Yuan Tuan, as the peak master, had locked the peak, and the grand formation isolated the inside from the outside. Yet, a Daoist in green robes had silently entered. Li Xizhi was utterly horrified. Just as he was about to question the newcomer, he found his entire body stiff, completely unable to move.

The scene before him instantly dimmed. Li Xizhi's gaze was fixed and stiff as he watched his master's horrified expression, an alarm blaring in his mind. His last remaining conscious thought observed Yuan Tuan's crimson lips moving, forming a word: "Buzi."

"Buzi?"