Chapter 416: Advance to the East China Sea

Li Yuanjiao spent some time reading the "Moonlight Gap Sword Manual" in the mountains. He then took a moment to reply to Li Xizhi's letter, recounting the family's recent affairs.

The Li family was preparing to journey overseas. With their current strength, capturing a Foundation Establishment demonic beast and extracting its spiritual energy for Li Xizhi would not be difficult. Li Yuanjiao had been thinking about this and specifically wrote to inquire.

He waited for over a month; Kong Heng had not yet returned, but Li Xizhi's letter arrived first:

"...Your son has broken through to the seventh layer of Qi Refining, and my foundation is solid. Breaking through to the eighth layer will only take three to five years. After taking the pills, I can already approach Foundation Establishment. That spiritual energy could boost my cultivation, but using it now would be a waste. It would be better if I wait until I achieve Foundation Establishment before returning home..."

Li Yuanjiao understood Li Xizhi's meaning and nodded secretly. Li Xizhi, being a disciple of an immortal sect, had many spells to practice and was not in a hurry to break through to Foundation Establishment; he could even delay it significantly. So Li Yuanjiao put the idea aside until Li Xizhi reached Foundation Establishment.

Calculating the days, Li Xizhi was now thirty-five years old, which struck Li Yuanjiao with a sense of suddenness. Then, he recalculated and realized he himself was over fifty, but having achieved Qi Refining early, he still retained the appearance of someone just entering middle age.

"It's a pity I was injured repeatedly, delaying my cultivation. Otherwise, I might have reached the edge of mid-Foundation Establishment."

The speed increase from Li Yuanjiao's spiritual energy augmentation was very evident during the Qi Refining stage, but for Foundation Establishment, which only has three layers, it had yet to manifest, making him feel somewhat behind.

"It's inevitable," he sighed.

As he held the pale purple jade slip in his hand, a tall, square-faced man with a broad mouth and the appearance of a middle-aged individual approached from below, respectfully saying:

"Li Xicheng greets the Patriarch."

Li Xicheng had already broken through to the fourth layer of Qi Refining. He had been diligent and meticulous in his duties over the years, committing no errors. Li Yuanjiao asked gently, and Li Xicheng replied:

"Reporting, Patriarch, something happened at the demonic lair to the east... I sent people to monitor it early. There hasn't been much activity these past few years, but this morning there was incessant fighting, with blood-red light soaring into the sky and shouts of killing echoing everywhere. The returning scouts reported that the demonic lair has been destroyed."

"How many people came?" Li Yuanjiao asked in a deep voice.

Li Xicheng replied: "Only one."

"Foundation Establishment?" Li Yuanjiao frowned slightly.

Li Xicheng hesitated: "I heard the person came from the east. The cultivators in the demonic lair swarmed him, but he killed the vast majority, with only three or five managing to escape."

Upon hearing this, Li Yuanjiao frowned: "Not Foundation Establishment? It's Qi Refining..." These demonic cultivators were not fools; if they encountered a Foundation Establishment cultivator, they would definitely turn and run, not confront them. And if a genuine Foundation Establishment cultivator had truly acted, it's unlikely they would have fought for a while and still allowed three or five to escape.

Li Xicheng nodded gently, replying: "The person wielded a golden hammer and breathed fire. He fought for a long time, struggling to force the demonic cultivators to scatter and flee. Perhaps they are an East Sea cultivator..."

As he finished speaking, a purple lightning bolt struck from the sky. Li Qinghong also emerged from seclusion, looking vibrant. Li Yuanjiao waved Li Xicheng away, then fell into deep thought for a long time.

Li Qinghong stopped Li Xicheng, listened carefully to his account, then let him go. She said: "Zhang Yun personally escorted him and even specifically warned surrounding families not to approach! It seems he was just waiting for this person to show up!"

Li Yuanjiao nodded, deducing: "Perhaps it was a deliberate setup to deliver some cultivation techniques and artifacts into this person's hands. They intentionally created this situation, leaving clues, making it seem like it just happened to fall into this person's possession... It's a scheme by the Golden Feather Sect, either to ensnare someone or simply to use him."

The Li family was now an established clan, and after so many years, they understood many of the methods employed by the Three Sects and Seven Gates. In the past, they were new to the world and caught in the midst of such schemes, but now Li Yuanjiao saw through it instantly, breathing a sigh of relief. He mused: "When Mahā set up that scheme back then, these established clans must have viewed my Li family the same way... One can only remain silent, trembling with apprehension, waiting to react later."

Li Qinghong nodded. She finally understood that no matter who that person was, the Li family shouldn't get involved, fearing they would harm themselves. Li Qinghong said softly: "As long as there's a resolution, it's good. Once this demonic lair matter is settled and Zhang Yun leaves, we can relax a bit."

As the siblings relaxed, the thin-eyed monk Kong Heng, dusty from his journey, landed by wind into the formation and chanted a Buddhist mantra, saying: "This humble monk has fulfilled his mission."

With that, he handed over a letter. Li Qinghong, holding her spear, eyed him up and down. The monk kept his gaze down, slightly sweating, exchanged a few polite words, and then hastily retreated outside the mountain.

Li Qinghong raised an eyebrow, silent. Li Yuanjiao merely scanned the monk briefly, already having finished reading the letter from Kong Tingyun.

Kong Tingyun's handwriting was elegant, her words casual. The letter immediately began by thoroughly berating Situ Mo, calling him sinister, cunning, and untrustworthy. She then very warmly invited the Li family to settle there, saying she wanted to thoroughly disgust Situ Mo.

Her tone was as if she were speaking face-to-face with a smile, completely lacking any sense of distance. At the end, she added: "In late June, a group of disciples from the sect will come overseas. If Brother Jiao is convenient, please come along and protect my family's juniors along the way, saving me another trip..."

'This is indeed good,' Li Yuanjiao nodded secretly. If they could go with XuanYue Sect members, they could look out for each other and guard against any mischief from the Buddhist cultivators.

Li Qinghong took the letter from his hand, read it for a moment, and smiled: "This Kong Tingyun is quite nice."

Her almond eyes subtly lingered on her brother's face. Seeing that Li Yuanjiao's expression remained unchanged, engrossed in thoughtful planning, she quietly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking: 'Sister-in-law's talent is, after all, a bit lacking. She's only at the seventh layer of Qi Refining now. After she breaks through, I'll send her a Spiritual Edict Pill. Although brother and sister-in-law are deeply devoted, the cultivation gap shouldn't be too wide...'

Li Qinghong and Xiao Guilan had been close for years. Li Yuanjiao always emulated Li Tongya, never showing favoritism, which meant Xiao Guilan never received particularly good resources. Only Li Qinghong frequently sent her some pills.

As Qinghong thought, Li Yuanjiao merely glanced and saw she was distracted. He asked about it, and Li Qinghong shook her head repeatedly. Li Yuanjiao then said: "The agreed date is approaching. Let's pack up and go together."

Li Qinghong, holding her spear, replied: "Nothing much to pack, let's go!"

Li Yuanjiao then summoned Li Xicheng, Li Xijun, and Li Wushao, instructing them to be careful while managing the household and not to act rashly. Then he called Li Qinghong and Kong Heng, and they flew off together.

Fearing calculations by the Buddhist cultivators, they flew very fast. Just over a day later, as dawn barely broke, XuanYue Sect's Yufu Commandery appeared before them.

An old man came forward to greet them. His face was ordinary, with two small moles, and various jade pendants of all sizes hung on his person, jingling softly. He greeted them with a hearty laugh:

"Kong Yu of XuanYue, greetings, fellow Daoists!"

Kong Yu had been invited by Li Xuanxuan to help move a mountain for the Li family back then and revealed information about the Incense Burner clan. He was considered Li Xuanxuan's friend. Li Yuanjiao was in seclusion and didn't meet him, but Li Qinghong had seen the old man. She courteously said:

"Greetings, senior!"

"Ah! I wouldn't dare, you flatter me!" Kong Yu smiled wryly. When he came to the Li family back then, Li Qinghong was still a Qi Refining cultivator, so it was fine for him to confidently act as a senior. Now, in a blink of an eye, Li Qinghong had become a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Kong Yu wouldn't dare presume, so he repeatedly declined and asked: "Is Fellow Daoist Xuanxuan doing well?"

"My father is still healthy," Li Yuanjiao replied. The few of them exchanged pleasantries for a moment, then several young boys and girls, all at Qi Refining cultivation, flew up from below. They looked at the two with admiration and respectfully said:

"Greetings, two seniors!"

Li Qinghong still looked like a young woman, in jade armor and silver boots, valiant and dashing, making the XuanYue male disciples stare wide-eyed, clearly awestruck yet unable to stop looking, which greatly embarrassed Kong Yu.

Li Yuanjiao's appearance was more mature and did not resemble that of a conventional righteous figure, so no one dared to look at him. Li Yuanjiao just surveyed the disciples, thinking: 'Their cultivation is even worse than my Xijun's, and they lack the noble demeanor of major sect disciples. They probably aren't core direct descendants.'

The group met up and quickly departed, heading downstream towards the East Sea.

***

On Wutu Peak, Li Ximing slowly exhaled. In his eyes, two bright flames seemed to ignite, leaping and rising, transforming into a golden hue before slowly dissipating into nothingness. With a gentle inhale, he swallowed the long-form primordial flame before him.

He had taken a spiritual energy pill two years ago to break through to the ninth layer of Qi Refining. He then conserved energy and refined his cultivation for a while, bringing it to completion.

Li Tongya's generation lacked pills, so refining cultivation was a slow, grinding process, often taking three to five years. In Li Ximing's generation, various pills became gradually abundant, and Li Ximing had no shortage, so his progress was naturally swift.

He flipped his hand, revealing a jade bottle. It was a Suixuan Pill. He thought: 'This pill from Brother Zhi... I don't really need it... It would be best to save it for Xijun...'

Li Ximing was confident in his cultivation. He was dedicated to the Dao, and with a Heavenly Earth Spiritual Flame within him, through years of dual cultivation and flame absorption, he had a vague premonition that he was in harmony with this path and had a very high chance of successfully establishing his Foundation.

Even so, Li Ximing still hesitated. Failure in Foundation Establishment meant death and the complete extinguishment of one's Dao. If it were anyone else, even with 99% certainty, he would keep it to himself and never give it away.

But Li Xijun was not just anyone. Li Ximing rarely cared deeply for things in this life, and Li Xijun was definitely one of them. This younger brother, born just a few days after him, visited him daily with earnest devotion, making it hard for him to let go.

Gritting his teeth, Li Ximing placed the jade bottle on the table, suppressing the urge to pick it up. He locked the door and turned to leave.

Before him, Meng Zhuoyun's black hair cascaded down, her hair tips tied with a red string, adorned with a small bluish-golden orchid. Li Ximing desperately needed to forget that Suixuan Pill, so he simply pulled her into an embrace.

Meng Zhuoyun pouted, skillfully undressing herself. Li Ximing murmured. She merely allowed him to do as he pleased, while she herself was hesitantly making a decision.

She suddenly asked: "Ming-ge’er, are you going to keep me?"

Li Ximing frowned, repeating as he had countless times before: "You should end things yourself."

Li Ximing was also distracted, thinking about something. Their bodies had long been intimately accustomed, naturally moving, yet both were absent-minded. Meng Zhuoyun placed both hands on his chest and suddenly said: "Li Ximing."

Li Ximing, seeing her call him by his full name for the first time, was stunned. Meng Zhuoyun said softly: "You just rely on the Li family..."

"Do you think you're a genius? You only rely on your ancestors' legacy, stripping away everything the Li family has given you. Is there anything presentable about you? Huh?"

Sweat rolled down Meng Zhuoyun's beautiful face; she panted incessantly, but her eyes were calm. She said softly: "Even without a family background, Li Yuanjiao could be a formidable general, Li Xijun could be a swordsman, Li Xicheng could be a shopkeeper. What about you? You're just a coward."

Li Ximing closed his eyes, as if a raw nerve had been touched. After a few breaths, he whispered: "Stop... Don't say any more..."

Meng Zhuoyun pushed his hands away, exhaled deeply, and said softly: "This concubine bids farewell."

She stood up decisively from the ground, pouring out the contents of her storage bag with a clatter: pills, secret techniques, paintings, and Li Ximing's clothes, all of them showering down upon him.

Almost in Li Ximing's incredulous and unprepared gaze, Meng Zhuoyun donned her robe, cast a cleansing spell, and walked out of the courtyard, her black hair flowing, her expression resolute.

She had only taken two steps when she saw a young man in white standing in the forest, blocking her path.

He had sword-like brows and starry eyes, holding a sword in his embrace. Even though Meng Zhuoyun was disheveled, her pristine white skin half-exposed, he merely lowered his gaze, respectfully turning his face away.

Meng Zhuoyun gently shook her head. The bluish-golden orchid in her hair glistened in the moonlight. Her captivating eyes, with their clear black and white, were filled with stubbornness:

"Senior, what may I do for you?"

Li Xijun extended his hand and politely said: "I hope I may examine your storage bag, fellow Daoist."

Meng Zhuoyun bowed and handed over the storage bag. Li Xijun inspected it for a while, confirming there was nothing related to his family. He apologized, returned the storage bag, but still didn't move his foot.

Meng Zhuoyun had no choice but to cast a spell, swearing the Profound Scenery Spiritual Oath, promising never to reveal Li family secrets. But Li Xijun didn't stop. He lowered his gaze, a little apologetically, and said softly: "I heard you possess excellent painting skills, fellow Daoist?"

Although he was very polite, the Coldstore sword on his back glowed brightly. Meng Zhuoyun was not foolish; she immediately understood and added a few more vows. Li Xijun apologized: "Fellow Daoist has refined quite a few pills in my family. This matter is Ming-ge’er's fault. These are cultivation resources, merely to compensate you for the pills you refined over the years."

He untied a storage bag from his waist and politely handed it over. Meng Zhuoyun's expression changed, both embarrassed and annoyed, but seeing the sincerity in Li Xijun's eyes, she knew he wasn't intentionally humiliating her. She silently accepted it and whispered: "Thank you."

With that, she rode the wind and flew away, gracefully vanishing into the horizon.

Li Xijun sighed and stepped into the courtyard. It was still a mess inside. Li Ximing was tidying his clothes. Li Xijun laughed wryly: "Your good deeds, yet I'm the one left to clean up the mess..."

Li Ximing said nothing. The painting in the courtyard still hung high. The Li Ximing in the painting, though smiling, appeared cold and heartless, his eyes indifferent, as if scrutinizing something.

Li Ximing felt irritated by it, waved his hand, drew it to him, folded it neatly, and placed it in his embrace. He then gestured for his brother to leave.

Turning back to collect the scattered paintings in the courtyard, Li Ximing suddenly lost interest. He moved out his alchemy furnace and began refining pills again.