Meanwhile on Mount Lijing...
A bright, gleaming white pearl emerged abruptly from the void, before returning back into the mirror on the stone platform which stirred up a flurry of pale moonlight.
Just then, a sigh echoed through the courtyard.
“Li Xiangping, it has been twenty-five or six years since you last picked me up...”
The memory of the boy who was catching fish in the river remained vivid in Lu Jiangxian’s mind, but the boy had fallen to the west.
Lu Jiangxian felt a whirlwind of emotions in him, threatening to spill out at any moment. Before the words could form on his lips, he found himself at a loss... his words drowned out by emotions.
He felt a surge in his divine sense and mana as the information recorded in the Profound Pearl Talisman Seed flowed into the mirror.
Li Xiangping had perished because of a curse. His cultivation had stopped at the peak of the Embryonic Breathing Realm, but the amount of mana that came from the Profound Pearl Talisman Seed greatly exceeded Lu Jiangxian’s expectations.
“The feedback from the Profound Pearl Talisman Seed seems to not only be related to cultivation but surprisingly also involves intangible aspects such as luck and fortune. He absorbed Jianixi’s fortune and siphoned Mount Yue’s blessings.”
Light gathered in Lu Jiangxian’s mirror, and the Supreme Yin Profound Light was also dancing around it... its power was now strong enough to vanquish cultivators at the peak of Qi Cultivation Realm.
The increased mana capacity allowed him to release five beams of Supreme Yin Profound Light consecutively, which was enough to confront a cultivator of the Foundation Establishment Realm—though he would need three days to recover afterward.
“The black qi of that curse was converted from talisman qi... I wonder if it changed after the talisman qi within Li Xiangping’s body devoured it.”
Lu Jiangxian has spent the past few days in the courtyard, studying the structure of the curse, but progress was slow. Fortunately, he did not require sustenance nor did he require sleep, hence he was able to devote over a decade to his studies without the need for haste.
“That pearl though...”
Lu Jiangxian gulped. His desires had diminished greatly since becoming an artifact spirit, and he made every effort to focus on the activities at the foot of the mountain to keep his emotions and priorities in check.
Yet... the precious pearl Li Xiangping had acquired stirred an unexpected longing deep within him.
Outside the courtyard...
Li Tongya was teaching Li Xuanling swordsmanship when a shiver suddenly overcame him, causing him to stop abruptly.
“What’s wrong, Father?”
Li Tongya furrowed his brow as unease crept into his body.
“Nothing,” he replied after a brief pause, waving his hand dismissively.
I better have a grand formation set up on Mount Lijing as soon as possible... I feel vulnerable without a reliable formation for protection.
Clang!
The sudden impact on the door and windows drew the attention of Li Tongya and Li Xuanling instantly.
Li Xuanling approached cautiously and opened the window, revealing a scrawny grayish-black locust that had crashed into it. Its upper half had been smashed against the window, prompting him to peel it off from the glass suspiciously before turning back to face his father.
Li Tongya already knew that it was a locust with the help of his spiritual sense, but he felt an inexplicable sadness as he examined the locust more closely.
“Huh?”
Under Li Tongya’s analysis, the locust revealed no trace of demonic energy, yet a strangely familiar sensation lingered.
“Let’s venture into the mountains again tomorrow and see if we can gather any information about Xiangping.”
Shaking off the unsettling feeling, Li Tongya stretched out and tossed the locust out of the window.
“Don’t lose focus now... read the Profound Water Sword Technique manual carefully,” he urged his son gently, an unreadable expression on his face.
However, as soon as those words left his mouth, the noise of a commotion reached his ears. Li Xuanxuan entered happily, cradling a bundle in his arms.
“Second Uncle!” he exclaimed.
Li Tongya’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.
“Is it a boy or a girl?” he immediately asked, hardly able to hide the joy in his face.
Li Xuanxuan had married a woman from a different clan with a spiritual orifice two years ago. However, she was not really gifted in cultivation and had only condensed the Profound Scenery Chakra, thus attaining only the first stage of the Embryonic Breathing Realm.
Li Xiangping had also picked a few beautiful mortal women for Li Xuanxuan to take as his concubines, and now... this child marked the first direct descendant of the Li Family’s third generation.
“It’s a boy!”
Li Xuanxuan could not contain the smile on his face as he cradled the baby closer.
Seeing this, Li Tongya chuckled fondly.
“This is our Li Family’s first third-generation heir. Have you thought of a name yet?” he asked.
“According to the generation name, it should include Yuan!” Li Xuanxuan said as he laughed softly, playing with his child for a moment before getting lost in his thoughts.
“I’ll name him Li Yuanxiu,” he said finally.
“Li Yuanxiu...” Li Tongya repeated thoughtfully, before nodding approvingly.
“That’s a good name,” he remarked fondly as he glanced at the child once more.
“How many children did your concubine bear?”
Li Tongya’s sudden question prompted Li Xuanxuan to look up. “A boy and a girl, they’re three and five this year,” he replied.
Li Tongya fell deep into thought before speaking.
“In the future, the direct descendants of our Li Family will be part of the major sect... the children of the concubines without spiritual orifices will be assigned to the minor sect, and the ones with spiritual orifices will be part of the major sect, along with the direct descendants. For the children of those in the minor sect, the ones without spiritual orifices will form the branches, while those with spiritual orifices will be reinstated into the major sect,” he spoke with a degree of solemnness in his voice.
Li Xuanxuan took a moment to digest the information before finally nodding in understanding.
“There are more than two thousand members in Ye Clan now. What do we do with the children with spiritual orifices from those in the branches?” he asked.
“They’ll be part of the minor sects... that’s as far as they can go,” Li Tongya answered after a moment of contemplation.
Considering Li Qiuyang’s current status as a branch member of the Li Clan, if he were to father a son with spiritual orifices, he could be reinstated into a minor sect. However... if his first grandson possessed spiritual orifices, he would not be able to be reinstated into the major sect.
“This ensures that all members of the major sect are direct descendants of grandfather...” Li Xuanxuan said slowly, finally realizing the reasoning behind the system.
Li Tongya’s uneasy expression caught his attention.
“Is something wrong, Second Uncle?” he asked, slightly hesitant.
With a weary look on his face, Li Tongya sighed deeply before speaking once more.
“I’m still worried about Xiangping... I’ll take advantage of the night and make a trip to the west. You stay here and watch over the family.”