Li Tongya had been in seclusion for over a year when he heard a faint rattle outside the stone door. He exhaled a wisp of white spiritual qi before responding in a deep voice.
“Enter.”
The stone door creaked open slowly, and a teenager bearing a striking resemblance to Li Tongya stepped in — he was none other than Li Xuanling.
“Father, the representatives from the Lu Family are here again,” he informed respectfully.
Li Tongya shook his head wearily. “It seems hiding like this won’t solve anything... come, accompany me to meet them,” he said with a soft sigh.
The representatives from the Lu Family had now visited them three times in that year alone, always requesting to meet with Li Tongya. He had been reluctant to meet them due to his rapid advancement in cultivation.
However, Lu Sisi was extremely persistent. He made periodic visits every few months, and Li Tongya feared that if he continued to evade them, the Lu Family might begin to suspect that he was dead and would harbor ill intentions toward the Li Family.
After all, cultivators of the Qi Cultivation Realm did not harness qi for longevity like those of the Foundation Establishment Realm. They still had to drink water and stretch their bodies every ten days or so.
Prolonged seclusion for several years was unheard of. While Li Tongya could use the same excuse once or twice, his frequent disappearances would undoubtedly arouse doubt among others.
It’s been over three years since I last saw anyone from the Lu Family... I was at the third heavenly layer of Qi Cultivator Realm then. Now, I am at the fifth heavenly layer. Although progressing through the Qi Cultivation Realm is hard work, taking three or five years to break through each heavenly layer is possible and can be considered to be swift progress...
“Ling’er, did Lu Sisi state his business?” Li Tongya asked as they made their way to meet their guest.
“That Lu Sisi is a haughty man. He refuses to speak with those of us who are only at the Embryonic Breathing Realm,” Li Xuanling replied glumly with a huff.
Li Tongya chuckled and remarked, “All that and he’s only a Qi Cultivator... I bet his arrogance will be inflated once he establishes his foundation. I still remember Senior Xiao Chuting befriending a cultivator of the Embryonic Breathing Realm despite being at the peak of the Foundation Establishment Realm... both of them are really different.”
As Li Tongya contemplated his words, his heart stirred with curiosity about Xiao Chuting. According to Zhang Yun of the Golden Feather Sect, Xiao Chuting had attained the Purple Mansion Realm.
Li Tongya wondered for how many years Xiao Chuting had concealed himself... seemingly awaiting the opportune moment for some undisclosed purpose. The thought of the potential upheavals Xiao Chuting might catalyze left him intrigued.
Xiao Chuting has lived for over two hundred years. In the first half of his life, he steered the Xiao Family from the brink of collapse to dominating Lixia Prefecture, all while quietly advancing to the Purple Mansion Realm. He’s no ordinary individual; whatever plans he harbors are bound to be monumental! Given the close relationship between the Li Family and Xiao Family, I wonder what will happen by then...
Lost in his musings, Li Tongya realized that he had reached the main courtyard. There, he spotted Lu Sisi savoring a bowl of tea. Beside him sat a youth exuding a confident aura, clad in luxurious fox fur.
“Senior Lu,” Li Tongya said as he cupped his fist and greeted him with a smile.
Lu Sisi rose to reciprocate the greeting but halted abruptly, his eyes widening in disbelief.
“Fifth heavenly layer of Qi Cultivator Realm?!”
The old man himself was only at the sixth heavenly layer, so he was shocked that Li Tongya was already catching up to him during his three years of absence.
Li Tongya chuckled and explained, “Well... the last time we met, I was already on the verge of breaking through to the fourth heavenly layer. I stumbled upon a spirit fruit in the mountains and used three years to break through to the fifth heavenly layer. In fact, I just emerged from seclusion!”
Of course, these were all fabrication. The last time Li Tongya crossed paths with Lu Sisi, he had just attained the third heavenly layer of the Qi Cultivator Realm. Now, nearly three years later, he had purportedly surged ahead by two layers.
Realization dawned upon Lu Sisi. After listening to Li Tongya’s explanation, the time frame did seem somewhat plausible, albeit begrudgingly so.
“How lucky...” he muttered enviously.
Li Tongya offered a faint smile in response as Lu Sisi motioned toward the young man beside him. “This is Lu Yuanlu, the latest Qi Cultivator to join our ranks in the Lu Family,” he introduced.
Li Tongya nodded and cupped his fist respectfully.
“A pleasure to meet you.”
Though still in his early twenties, Lu Yuanlu exuded an air of arrogance.
“Likewise,” he replied, waving his hand dismissively.
Li Tongya was slightly taken aback by his attitude, while Lu Sisi smiled wryly beside him.
Lu Yuanlu held his head high and said, “I’ve heard of your exceptional swordsmanship, Brother Tongya. We must spar someday!”
After these words left his mouth, Lu Yuanlu infused his sword with a ghostly blue true essence almost immediately. It was at this moment that Li Tongya understood his gesture.
This guy’s showing off his authentic cultivation technique... wanting me to know that he has consumed Minor Pure Spiritual Qi!
A cultivator like Lu Yuanlu, who had practiced authentic cultivation techniques and consumed proper Spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth, would have no trouble overpowering two or three cultivators who consumed unrefined qi.
Now it made sense for his arrogance and pride.
Li Tongya smiled a tight smile with a brief nod, before cupping his fist. “Brother Lu, your true essence is truly enviable!” he praised graciously.
Lu Yuanlu grinned smugly and nodded without shame. Meanwhile, Lu Sisi felt embarrassed and was at a loss for words.
Looking at Lu Yuanlu, Li Tongya was reminded of another idiot from the Lu Family that he had encountered on Cloud Crowned Peak. That person seemed to have met an unfortunate fate at the hands of the Ji Family.
“I’ve met a fellow cultivator on Cloud Crowned Peak who also harnesses the Minor Pure Spiritual Qi to cultivate qi. I remember his name was Lu Pingyuan...”
Before Li Tongya could finish, he was immediately interrupted by an exclamation from Lu Yuanlu.
“That’s my elder brother!”
“Oh? Brother Yuanlu certainly surpasses Brother Pingyuan by far.”
Lu Yuanlu raised an eyebrow and was just about to blurt out something else when Lu Sisi stopped him.
“Yuanlu!” he called out, concerned that the boy would divulge all their family secrets if he continued speaking.
Lu Yuanlu shot Lu Sisi a puzzled glance, only to see the old man gritting his teeth.
“We’re about to discuss something private. Just wait on the road until I’m done.”
Lu Yuanlu glared at him but heeded the instruction nonetheless. Suppressing his retort, he stormed off without even bidding a farewell.
Li Tongya chuckled softly while Lu Sisi let out a heavy sigh.
“Please forgive him, my friend. He’s gotten used to acting like that at home.”
The intended display of Lu Yuanlu’s prowess had devolved into a humiliating debacle, leaving Lu Sisi feeling even more mortified.
He glanced at Li Xuanling who stood next to Li Tongya, and let out yet another long sigh with a shake of his head.
“Observing how the Li Family maintains strict discipline within your household... I realize there’s still much for us to learn,” he confessed ruefully.
“What brings you here this time, senior?” Li Tongya asked, changing the topic right away. After all, he was a straightforward man and he decided not to beat around the bush.
Lu Sisi was immediately reminded of his purpose. With his white beard fluttering in the wind, he began, “A few years back, there were cultivators of Purple Mansion Realm launching an assault on Mount Azure Pond... In fact, the force was so formidable that rumor has it — one of the spirit arrays was invoked.”
Li Tongya’s expression froze as he exclaimed in disbelief.
“Mount Azure Pond?! Are they crazy for attacking the Azure Pond Sect? Who could have the audacity to do such a thing?!”
“Who knows?” Lu Sisi observed Li Tongya’s reaction and felt a hint of satisfaction creeping into his demeanor.
“Regardless, it was quite the skirmish... the Azure Pond Sect suffered its first humiliation in over a century. Do you know how the immortal sect resolved it?”
“How?” Li Tongya asked, his curiosity piqued.
“Well, they showed up, simply explained the situation, and forgot all about it! Can you believe it?! Azure Pond Sect... conceding defeat like that! But do you know why?”
Li Tongya ventured a guess inwardly but maintained a stoic external expression as he continued pressing further, curious to know more.
“Why?”
“I’ve heard rumors that... a cultivator of the Purple Mansion Realm from Azure Pond Sect is on the brink of death!” Lu Sisi revealed in a dramatic manner, his grip tightening on his jade scepter.
“Things will definitely change in the next few years... make sure you’re well prepared by then,” he advised with a concerned tone of voice.
Li Tongya nodded, fully aware that this old man from the Lu Family was sharing this information just to get on his good side.
“Thank you for the heads-up, senior!” he responded earnestly.
Satisfied with Li Tongya’s response, Lu Sisi moved on to a more pressing matter. “There’s also another matter I would like to bring to your attention. It concerns the Li, Lu, and An families... ” he began.
“An Family has discovered an Ebony Ore Mine at the boundary between our lands through their Vein Searching Technique,” Lu Sisi explained cautiously.
Li Tongya’s face immediately lit up with excitement upon hearing the news and asked, “How’s the yield? Which direction does the vein run?”
Ebony Ores were highly prized among cultivators of the Embryonic Breathing and Qi Cultivator Realms for crafting dharma artifacts. With proper excavation and mining, it could easily supplement one’s income by a dozen or more Spirit Stones annually.
Naturally, Li Tongya could not contain his elation at the prospect.
Lu Sisi’s expression turned rueful as he revealed, “It’s a modest vein, stretching several miles from east to west... and it veers deep into your family’s territory. Nevertheless, if we work together, we can still reap significant benefits.”
Li Tongya’s joy remained undimmed as he said, “This is an important discovery, I must inspect it myself! Would you be so kind as to lead the way, Senior Lu?”
Lu Sisi nodded in response.
“Of course. Let’s begin our exploration first, and then we can go on to discuss mining and profit-sharing arrangements.”