Chapter 412: The Secret of Magic

Li Xizhi casually dealt with various people in the marketplace, then made time to go to the courtyard where his grandfather, Li Xuanxuan, was carefully drawing with a talisman brush dipped in spirit ink.

The old man had been drawing talismans for over seventy years; he could draw them perfectly even with his eyes closed. He raised his grizzled eyebrows, looked at Li Xizhi, and, while his hand continued to draw steadily, he smiled and said:

"Zhi'er is here."

Li Xizhi respectfully acknowledged him. With a move of Li Xuanxuan's hand, a talisman emerged—a snow-white, crystal-clear Returning Essence Shield for late-stage Qi Condensation cultivators. Li Xuanxuan, seeing his curious expression, smiled and said:

"It's just a common item, incomparable to the talismans from your sect."

Li Xizhi glanced at it and said softly:

"It is indeed much inferior. Grandfather's talisman techniques have reached a high level of mastery, but without a superior inheritance, your skill is wasted on these kinds of talismans."

"Talisman techniques have a low barrier to entry. There are plenty of rogue and clan cultivators like me throughout the Yue Kingdom whose talents are wasted."

Li Xuanxuan scoffed and waved his hand, then took the glittering Dinglin Blade from his storage pouch and handed the spiritual artifact to Li Xizhi, instructing him:

"This Dinglin Blade is marked with Situ Mo's name and the insignia of the Drilling Gold Sect. We dare not use it. We were hoping to find someone in the marketplace to reforge and modify it for us, so at least it can be used."

He twirled his beard and said in an aged voice:

"I took some time to go out, but who knew that the few rare refiners in the marketplace who could repair or modify items were all afraid of offending the Drilling Gold Sect? They simply refused me, and the only one willing to take it on quoted an exorbitant price! Look at this… *sigh*!"

Li Xizhi understood, took the spiritual artifact, and smiled:

"Leave it to your grandson. Although I can't act wantonly or skim profits in this marketplace, I can use my official authority and influence to make things easier. What's difficult for the family to handle is quite simple for me."

Li Xuanxuan nodded repeatedly and said with emotion:

"A few years ago, your uncle and I discussed it; if you could have stayed at home, you would have been the most suitable person to manage the family... It's a pity you went to the sect. But at that time, only you were truly suitable to go. If it had been a few years later..."

Li Xizhi shook his head. Li Xuanxuan then changed the subject:

"But ultimately, you were also the best candidate to join the sect. Ximing is ruthless; if he had joined, it would have been disastrous! Xijun is too sharp, and Xicheng takes things too seriously. Only you are capable of compromising, being flexible, and showing amiability..."

"I heard you married someone from the Yang family. Is she considerate? Bring her back when you have time, so your grandpa can see her..."

Li Xuanxuan, being old, rambled on. Li Xizhi listened with a smile, then softly said:

"Grandfather, please wait a moment. I'll go have someone reforge the artifact."

Li Xuanxuan waved him off. The back door creaked twice, and Li Xijun stepped in. He looked much better and said with some concern:

"Grand-uncle... we should still make time to return home soon. We are naturally safe here in the marketplace, but I'm afraid that if Situ Mo can't harm us here, he might go to Qingdu Mountain. Aunt is there alone, and I fear she might not be his match."

"Indeed."

Li Xuanxuan suddenly realized the validity of the concern, stopped his talisman brush, and replied:

"Once Jiao'er comes out of seclusion, we can all return home together. Xizhi can send the spiritual artifact later."

Li Xizhi left the courtyard, and the two elders eagerly approached him. He softly asked:

"Who is the best artifact refiner in this marketplace?"

One of the elders stepped forward and chuckled sheepishly:

"There's a Sword Sect cultivator here... he's skilled at forging spiritual artifacts, but... he's also a disciple from an immortal sect, and he's been secluded for a long time. His temperament isn't very amiable, so we didn't dare invite him. You might have to visit him yourself, sir..."

"The Wanyu Sword Sect... No matter, take me there."

Li Xizhi nodded in understanding. He followed the two forward, rising into the air on an arc of light. The two followed behind, looking at the rainbow light beneath his feet with a mix of admiration and awe. One of them transmitted a message with his spiritual power:

"This young master truly has good fortune. He was born into the direct lineage of Qingdu, became a Qingchi disciple, his master is a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Xunlin Yuan family, and his father is an old ancestor of the Li family. Three generations of Foundation Establishment cultivators... he was truly born above us common folk..."

The other elder secretly nodded and replied with his spiritual power:

"Indeed... He must have a significant background within the sect. Not touching the profits from the marketplace... perhaps he simply looks down on them!"

Li Xizhi couldn't hear their conversation. He stepped into the courtyard and saw a young man sitting astride on the ground, holding a blueprint and examining it. The young man glanced at him with half-closed eyes.

"I am Cheng Jinzhu of the Wanyu Sword Sect. May I ask which peak of Qingchi you are from?"

The Wanyu Sword Sect and the Qingchi Sect didn't have a good relationship, but sitting astride and looking askance was still considered rude. Seeing his arrogance, Li Xizhi secretly felt that this matter would be difficult. He said softly:

"Li Xizhi of Qinghui Peak."

"Qinghui Peak? Never heard of it...!"

Cheng Jinzhu replied indifferently, then suddenly frowned, straightened his posture a bit, and asked doubtfully:

"Is your Li family not the Li family of Fuchen Peak? Qinghui... could it be the Sword Immortal's Qinghui?"

"It is the Li family of Qingdu, from Wangyue Lake."

As soon as Li Xizhi finished speaking, Cheng Jinzhu immediately jumped up from the ground, his expression changing drastically, and his smile becoming warm and enthusiastic. He said apologetically:

"My apologies, my apologies... I saw how young you looked, fellow Daoist, and thought you were a direct descendant of that Demonic Sect... So you're a disciple from a Sword Immortal family! I'm truly sorry!"

Cheng Jinzhu could openly refer to the Qingchi Sect as the Demonic Sect, but Li Xizhi didn't dare acknowledge it. While greatly relieved, he could only silently lower his head as if he hadn't heard, and said modestly:

"It's merely the lingering blessings of my ancestors, not worth mentioning."

Cheng Jinzhu's attitude was now completely different. He pulled Li Xizhi over and said heartily:

"What do you mean 'not worth mentioning'! When the Moon Spire Sword Intent appeared back then, our sect's Wanyu Sword Scroll also reacted. It recorded the sword's name as Azure Ruler, and the sword intent as Moon Spire—ethereal and ever-changing, clearly of the righteous path!"

"We don't like to use the Demonic Sect's immortal peaks for addresses. Whenever a Sword Immortal is discussed, we refer to them by their sword's name."

He showed a sorrowful expression:

"It's just a pity that something happened in the Southern Border! Truly regrettable."

Cheng Jinzhu took Li Xizhi's hand and said softly:

"Your family is rooted in Qingchi; otherwise, my Sword Sect should have been the closest to yours. These past years, our sect has been fighting everywhere, and our situation is far from good—we can barely protect ourselves. Otherwise, we would certainly have welcomed your family's disciples into our sect for cultivation..."

He said softly:

"Regarding the matter of Wrathful Mahā, although our elders never involve themselves in the murky affairs of the Buddhist cultivators, they made an exception to covertly exert effort in the Grand Void to save people, which yielded some unexpected results. Unfortunately, it still didn't succeed in the end..."

Cheng Jinzhu seemed to be full of pent-up frustration and poured out his grievances at length. Li Xizhi listened carefully and was slightly moved. Only then did Cheng Jinzhu belatedly realize and smile:

"Come, come! Fellow Daoist, with your profound family learning, quickly spar a sword strike with me!"

Li Xizhi understood that Cheng Jinzhu was afraid he might be impersonating a Li family member to deceive him. He pressed his right hand on his sword hilt, gathering strength, and said calmly:

"Alright, I'll only make one move."

'After all, I only know this one move from the *Moon Spire Sword Canon*...'

Li Xizhi muttered to himself. In front of him, Cheng Jinzhu immediately became serious, drew his sword, its bright sword qi flowing ceaselessly, and stood ready.

The Wanyu Sword Sect's techniques had been passed down for a long time. Cheng Jinzhu wielded his sword, observing Li Xizhi's movements. He saw the sword at Li Xizhi's waist spring forth, drawing a huge sword arc that rushed towards him.

"Clang..."

With a retract and flick of his sword, the sword arc in front of him vanished. Cheng Jinzhu retreated a few steps, looking thoughtful, while Li Xizhi felt a brief emptiness in his heart:

"Such a fast sword! Although he's only in the late stage of Qi Condensation, to be able to effortlessly deflect my family's sword technique truly shows his strength."

Cheng Jinzhu rubbed his chin and said softly:

"Your clan's sword move takes an unconventional path; it's quite interesting."

He was eager for Li Xizhi to make a few more moves, but Li Xizhi didn't want to prolong it and simply asked:

"I obtained a spiritual artifact from the Drilling Gold Sect, and I'd like to ask you, fellow Daoist, to reforge it for me, so my family can use it."

"The Drilling Gold Sect, huh."

Cheng Jinzhu responded and said very naturally:

"Of course, no problem. Is it a Foundation Establishment spiritual artifact?"

Li Xizhi handed over the Dinglin Blade. Cheng Jinzhu took it, examined it, and praised:

"Ingenious, a fine treasure."

He seemed experienced and only asked:

"You want it forged into a sword? What kind of True Essence will be used to wield it?"

Li Xizhi replied:

"The Pine Wind, Frost, and Snow type."

Cheng Jinzhu took a glance to estimate, then nodded and replied:

"Whatever cold jade or cold stone you have there, just bring it. I'll reforge it for you. It'll probably take... two to three years! The golden material is excellent; it's currently underutilized. Reforging it into a sword would easily make it a Foundation Establishment-level artifact."

Li Xizhi was delighted and thanked him, then quickly asked:

"How many spirit stones will it cost?"

Cheng Jinzhu casually stroked the Dinglin Blade in his hand and said very casually:

"Pay what you think is fair; I won't take advantage of you. I only have one request—once this spiritual artifact is forged, I must be the one to name it."

Li Xizhi didn't care about that and simply nodded in agreement. The two exchanged a few more words, then bid farewell and parted ways.

When he returned to the courtyard, his family was already preparing to leave. Li Xizhi had only seen them for half a month and suddenly felt reluctant to part. He hurried forward and said to Li Yuanjiao:

"Father, is your wound healed? Why are you leaving in such a hurry?"

Li Yuanjiao said softly:

"The injury is stable, but it's a bone-deep wound that can't be healed in a day or two. I still need to go home and cultivate in seclusion for three to five years."

He smoothed his black robe and said in a deep voice:

"There are a few things I want to ask you."

Li Xizhi responded, but to his surprise, Li Yuanjiao said:

"Have a match with your younger brother."

"Huh?"

Li Xizhi looked at Li Xijun, who was holding his sword in front of him, and was slightly startled. He immediately understood. As expected, Li Yuanjiao said:

"Let us both see how much difference there truly is between a direct descendant of our family and a Qingchi Sect disciple!"

Li Xizhi landed somewhat awkwardly. In front of him, Li Xijun was dressed in white, having been at the Sixth Layer of Qi Condensation for a long time, while Li Xizhi, dressed in brocade, had just broken through.

He thought for a few moments, put away his feather robe, and then nodded to his younger brother.

"Brother, please excuse me!"

Li Xijun stepped into the void, activating the "Turbulent River Step of Yue." He strode forward, hand on his sword hilt, his expression solemn. White qi flickered in his eyes as he flew towards Li Xizhi's side.

Li Xizhi, holding his sword sheath, stood in mid-air, a colorful light diffused beneath his feet. Calm and unruffled, he sidestepped several yards away in an instant. Li Xijun immediately stopped short, thinking to himself:

'This movement technique is far too profound; I can't think of closing the distance anymore...'

He immediately made a decisive decision, drawing his sword and unleashing a vast white sword arc. Li Xizhi, not wanting to bully him, also drew his sword and met it with a Moon Spire Sword Arc.

Li Xijun's sword was ordinary, but Li Xizhi's, with its flowing spiritual light, was dazzling and clearly no common artifact. The two collided, emitting a resounding roar.

"Boom..."

The two met in mid-air, and dust and smoke billowed. Li Xizhi, with a flick of his sleeve, dispersed a wisp of sword qi flying towards him, finally showing a hint of surprise. He nodded and said:

"Good!"

Li Xizhi was older than his brother and had practiced the sword for longer, and his innate sword Dao talent was also superior. However, having cultivated many spell formulas in the sect, the time he spent on sword techniques was naturally far less than Li Xijun's. Thus, despite benefiting from his superior spiritual artifact, he was still a notch inferior in pure sword skill.

Li Xijun gained the upper hand with one move and pressed closer, intending to strike with sword qi. But Li Xizhi shook his head and smiled, forming a hand seal, and a stream of colorful light flowed forth.

Floating Light Picking Object

The colorful light, hazy and fluctuating, moved like lightning. Li Xijun suddenly felt his hand empty; his sword was already in Li Xizhi's grasp.

"What kind of spell is this?!"

Li Yuanjiao, who had been quietly watching from the side, saw Li Xizhi "swish" and take the treasured sword from Li Xijun's hand. His expression immediately changed, and his heart was filled with horror.

'Sure enough, there's a spell art that counters artifact techniques!'

Rogue and clan cultivators were not proficient in spells; the only way they could contend with immortal sects was through techniques like sword, spear, and blade arts, which had a low barrier to entry but a high ceiling for mastery. Li Yuanjiao had always suspected that the Qingchi Sect possessed targeted methods. His heart suddenly sank:

"If this is the case, where is our chance of winning? A single spell just snatched away his sword!"

Li Xijun was also caught off guard, but his reaction was swift. He immediately brought two fingers together, releasing the Tu Jun Sunflower Light. White light gushed forth, striking towards Li Xizhi.

"A good spell."

Li Xizhi praised, then likewise formed a hand seal with his other hand, bending his middle and ring fingers into his palm while the others stood upright, forming a cauldron shape. He said slowly, word by word:

"Enter, My, Heart, Cauldron."

As soon as he finished speaking, the sunflower light condensed into a white line, which agilely circled once before falling into his palm. Li Xizhi gently twisted it, flicking it aside, where the white qi flowed, freezing and shattering the bluestones on the ground.

Having fought to this point, Li Xijun could only sigh helplessly. Li Yuanjiao and Li Xuanxuan exchanged a glance, both filled with shock:

'Zhi'er isn't even a direct descendant of Qingchi; it's just that the *Morning Glow Dew Collection Art* is a renowned and complete cultivation art of Qingchi... and he's already this formidable! If it were a Chi family member...'

Li Xizhi cupped his hands towards his younger brother. Seeing the speechless expressions of his two elders, he quietly said:

"Zhi'er isn't weak in the sect either..."

Li Yuanjiao sighed and asked:

"How many spells can an average Qingchi disciple cultivate?"

Li Xizhi respectfully replied:

"Three or four. Any more than that might delay their Foundation Establishment."

Li Xizhi looked at his father, hesitated for a moment, then replied:

"Disciples in the sect often achieve Foundation Establishment at fifty or sixty years of age. This isn't due to limitations in their talent but because they are delayed by cultivating auxiliary spells and waiting for breakthrough opportunities. Some spells, if not practiced during the Qi Condensation stage, become much harder to master after Foundation Establishment."

"Why is that?"

Li Yuanjiao frowned slightly. His eldest son replied:

"Once a cultivator forges an immortal foundation, they gain many natural mystical abilities. If the spells they wish to learn cannot harmonize with this new foundation, it becomes very difficult to make progress..."

"Conversely, if one masters spells early before Foundation Establishment, these spells will be influenced by the immortal foundation, perhaps even gaining many more mystical variations!"

"Therefore, disciples in the sect postpone Foundation Establishment as much as possible. However, some people, as they get older, often end up creating many tragedies for themselves."