Li Xuanfeng flew slowly along Guli Road for most of the night, eventually arriving at Cloud Crowned Peak. Veiled in clouds and mist, both the trees and people on Xiao Family’s peak were well obscured from sight.
But just as Li Xuanfeng was descending, he encountered a repelling force coming from the mountain. Someone below called out to him in a loud voice, “Hey, Brother! You can’t fly into Cloud Crowned Peak!”
Li Xuanfeng quickly landed at the foot of the mountain. There, he was greeted by a smiling young man who seemed to be about seventeen or eighteen. He was dressed in a long flowing robe and looked rather striking.
The young man cupped his fist and greeted Li Xuanfeng respectfully.
“Which family in the east are you from, Young Master?”
Li Xuanfeng waved his hands and replied to the polite young man, “I’m no young master! It’s Li Xuanfeng from the Li Family in Lijing. I’ve come to submit my family’s tributes.”
“Li Family from Lijing?” the teenager repeated thoughtfully as he raised an eyebrow curiously. “Are you from the Li Family by Moongaze Lake..? I am Xiao Ruyu from the Xiao Family, it’s a great pleasure to meet you!”
“Indeed, I am!” Li Xuanfeng affirmed, recalling the instructions given to him by Li Tongya before his departure.
Xiao Ruyu quietened before finally asking curiously, “Is Senior Li Tongya your...”
“He’s my clan uncle!” Li Xuanfeng chuckled, then politely elaborated, “My clan uncle has sent me here to pay Senior Xiao Yongling a visit!”
“Ah... I see,” the young man nodded in understanding. “Uncle Yongling has instructed me to receive a guest from the Li Family! Please, come with me, Brother Xuanfeng.”
With a smile, Xiao Ruyu gracefully leaped up into the air. Since both of them were Qi Cultivators, they rode the wind together for a while before landing smoothly on yet another peak.
There, atop the mountain, stood a small courtyard with two pots of plum blossoms by its entrance.
Xiao Ruyu approached the door and knocked gently.
“Clan Uncle, the guest from the Li Family has arrived!” he announced respectfully in a loud voice.
A hearty laugh was heard before the door slowly creaked open, revealing a middle-aged man with sharp eyes, wrapped in snow-white fox fur. He wore a brocade pouch at his waist, and he looked quite handsome.
Upon seeing the visitor, he paused for a moment before asking, “You are...?”
“I am Li Xuanfeng from the Li Family. My second uncle is currently occupied with important matters, so I have come in his stead to pay my respects,” he explained readily.
Xiao Yongling, the middle-aged man, nodded understandingly and said with a hint of regret, “It’s unfortunate that Brother Tongya can’t make it here. I do miss him very much.”
After saying that, he cast a curious glance at Li Xuanfeng and asked, “How strong is Brother Tongya now?”
“My second uncle has attained the third heavenly layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm,” Li Xuanfeng replied, following Li Tongya’s instructions.
“The third heavenly layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm..? Brother Tongya has truly made remarkable progress! When I first met him, I had already sensed his extraordinary potential... and now he has truly proven it!” Xiao Yongling exclaimed, clearly impressed.
He led Li Xuanfeng into the courtyard and poured tea for both of them.
With a warm smile, he turned to Li Xuanfeng and remarked, “You’re quite talented yourself, it’s quite impressive to attain the Qi Cultivation Realm at such a young age. Someone like you is indeed a valuable addition... even in our Xiao Family.”
“You’re flattering me, Senior,” Li Xuanfeng replied humbly with his head bowed slightly. After exchanging pleasantries for a few moments, he broached the reason for his visit.
“My family’s defensive formation was destroyed by Mount Yue and has remained unrepaired until now... I’ve been tasked with finding a skilled formation master in the prefecture to set up another grand formation on the mountain. Do you have any leads or suggestions on someone who could possibly help us, Senior?”
“Indeed, I do.” Xiao Yongling nodded and continued, “However, setting up a grand formation of Qi Cultivation Realm is no easy task! It requires engraving of formation patterns and also numerous drawings... it'll take at least several days to complete.”
“For a basic formation of the Qi Cultivation Realm, you’ll need at least thirty Spirit Stones. But if you’re looking for something more advanced of that realm and capable of fending off peak Qi Cultivators, you’d need at least a hundred Spirit Stones...” he added.
Li Xuanfeng listened attentively, then nodded in understanding.
“My family has already expected that and prepared the necessary Spirit Stones.”
“Very well,” Xiao Yongling said approvingly before taking another sip of tea. After deliberating for a few brief moments, he continued, “I’ll reach out to my contacts and see what I can find... I’ll get back to you again within a few days. Thankfully, there’s still some time before the tributes will be collected. I should be able to find someone in time.”
“Thank you, Senior,” Li Xuanfeng replied, expressing his gratitude sincerely.“Don’t mention it,” Xiao Yongling said, dismissively waving off his gratitude with a warm smile.
“Our families have been friends for decades. Your fourth uncle and my clan uncle are brothers of the same faction, and he even helped request the Essence Gathering Pill for my family... it’s only natural for us to help each other in times of need.”
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Li Xuanfeng sipped his tea and patiently listened as Xiao Yongling spoke. Then, he posed another question, “May I ask, Senior, if metal ores have any effects on mortals?”
“Indeed they do!” Xiao Yongling replied, almost immediately.
He paused, gathering his thoughts before continuing, “My family oversees twenty-two ore veins... I’ve worked there so I have considerable knowledge in this scope of topic.”
“Spirit ores with metal, thunder, flame, and cold yin properties can endanger mortals. In fact, deaths and injuries caused by these items are rather common. Those of the Embryonic Breathing Realm are generally safer, so you can reduce the period of exposure by rotating a few more shifts. On the other hand, those of the Qi Cultivation and Foundation Establishment Realms are far more dangerous and can result in fatalities upon contact. It’s essential for immortal cultivators to personally mine these spirit ores,” he explained with a furrowed brow.
“I see! Thank you for enlightening me, Senior!” Li Xuanfeng nodded, expressing his sincere gratitude once more.
Xiao Yongling then handed him a jade slip and said, “Brother Tongya has requested my help in finding him a book before, and I’ve finally found it. Take this back to him.”
Li Xuanfeng hesitated briefly before accepting the jade slip.
Second Uncle never mentioned searching for any books... how can he forget to inform me about it? Is Xiao Family trying to tell me something..?
“Thank you, Senior Yongling!”
When Li Xuanfeng inquired about news regarding Li Chejing, Xiao Yongling shook his head and said, “There have been no updates. It’s been years since my clan uncle also went to the southern border... we haven’t received any letters from him and are quite worried about him as well.”
This revelation left Li Xuanfeng feeling at great unease.
“The prefecture’s scenery is very different from the west. There’s still half a month before it’s time to submit the tributes... you should go and explore around,” Xiao Yongling suggested finally.
Sensing that the meeting had come to an end, Li Xuanfeng cupped his fist and bid farewell to Xiao Yongling.
Upon exiting the courtyard, he inspected the jade slip with his spiritual sense and found out that its title was “Two Hundred Years of Linghai Prefecture’s Scenery.”
Perplexed by its unexpected contents, Li Xuanfeng quickly tucked away the jade slip and exchanged parting words with Xiao Ruyu before continuing on his journey eastward.
As soon as Li Xuanfeng left the courtyard, Xiao Yongling quietly tidied up the tea set and mused to himself, “A fifteen-year-old Qi Cultivator... the Li Family truly has exceptional talents!”
“You’re absolutely right, clan uncle,” Xiao Ruyu concurred, offering his praise.
Xiao Yongling shook his head and spoke solemnly, “Our old ancestor personally met Li Tongya and bestowed pills upon him... he also instructed me to cultivate a strong relationship with the Li Family.”
“The foresight of our old ancestor surpasses our comprehension, but now he...” Xiao Yongling’s voice trailed off weakly, his expression shifting as he chuckled softly and mumbled to himself, “With old ancestor and Uncle Yuansi around, our family can thrive for at least eight hundred years...”
Exchanging a knowing glance with Xiao Ruyu, Xiao Yongling’s gaze grew more contemplative.
He sighed, his expression reflecting a strong conflict of emotions.
“Only people like our old ancestor could break through the Azure Pond Sect’s blockade and rise to prominence... He is cautious, composed, and patient, and that allowed him to protect our family’s interests. Look at how talented Yu Yuxie was, but he ended up drawing the unwanted attention of an old ancestor at the Purple Mansion Realm and met a tragic end in the southern border.”
Pausing, Xiao Yongling turned his gaze toward Xiao Ruyu and spoke with sincerity, “Ruyu, this is why our old ancestor advises you to cultivate slowly and refrain from rushing your breakthroughs within the next five years.”
“In this world, the most gifted individuals often suffer the greatest tragedies.”