Li Xuanxuan returned to the mountain with a heavy heart, only to find a middle-aged man standing in the courtyard. He was dressed simply in a gray robe and holding a sword, appearing to be lost in his thoughts while he gazed at the sky.
"Second Uncle, you've come out of seclusion!" Li Xuanxuan exclaimed, immediately filled with joy.
Li Tongya nodded slightly and said softly, "This breakthrough went smoothly... Having accumulated cultivation for four years, breaking through to the sixth heavenly layer of Qi Cultivation Realm was just a matter of time."
By this year, Li Tongya was forty-six years old. Thanks to the aid of the Deep Ocean Long Whale Talisman, he had reached the sixth heavenly layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm.
By the age of sixty, he hoped to reach the peak of this realm with hopes of breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm. Without the talisman, reaching the peak of the Qi Cultivation Realm by sixty would have been challenging, let alone the Foundation Establishment Realm.
After all, unlike the disciples of major sects who could cultivate peacefully within their sects, their family cultivators were always engaged in skirmishes and battles with others.
As they aged, their bodies became more worn and prone to issues like blood stagnation or the invasion of malicious qi. Without access to precious medicines or spirit pills for healing, their pace of cultivation inevitably would slow down.
"Is there anything happening at home? What's the situation with the Yu Family's market?" Li Tongya asked.
Li Xuanxuan hurriedly reported everything to him, including the incident with Yu Mujian right before Li Tongya's seclusion. Li Tongya smiled and said, "Yu Mujian is probably the most talented among the Yu Family's disciples, devoted to swordsmanship... He's truly fortunate to be born into such a prominent family with his skills."
Li Xuanxuan agreed and changed the topic, a hint of amusement crossing his face. "Since the opening of the Yu Family's market over a month ago and as their people moved there, we heard someone attacked the main family's formation in Milin Prefecture... The Yu Family had no choice but to send reinforcements."
Li Tongya raised his eyebrows as he heard this.
It was as he expected.
"A simple yet effective strategy... the attackers probably came back as soon as the reinforcements left, right?"
"Exactly!" Li Xuanxuan recounted with excitement, "No sooner had the Yu Family's reinforcements left, that two Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators immediately attacked the formation directly. Although the Yu Family was prepared, leaving Yu Xiaogui behind and even using two talismans of the Foundation Establishment Realm to block the attacks, it still caused panic, driving away a large portion of their customers. It attracted many troublemakers and looters, leaving them with a huge mess to deal with."
Li Tongya nodded thoughtfully and explained, "It is most likely many of those troublemakers were arranged by the other families, timing it just right to deal the Yu Family a significant blow."
Li Xuanxuan found Li Tongya's words quite reasonable and continued after a brief pause, "Although the Yu Family was angry, they had no choice but to swallow this loss silently. Months later, the market saw a drastic reduction in foot traffic, which has yet to recover."
"Did our disciples get involved?" Li Tongya asked with some concern, and Li Xuanxuan assured him almost immediately. "I remembered Second Uncle's instruction, ordering our family's disciples not to go out—let alone cause trouble at that market!" he said with a grin.
"Well done," Li Tongya praised before patting Li Xuanxuan on the shoulder. "Winter is approaching. I'll hunt a few demonic beasts of the Qi Cultivation Realm in the mountains for sacrifice and request a talisman qi for you guys as well," he instructed.
"Yes!"
Li Xuanxuan was overjoyed, eagerly agreeing. Watching as Li Tongya flew away, his lips moved silently, the doubts in his heart ultimately unvoiced.
"Forget it."
Li Xuanxuan sighed softly before walking a few steps into the yard, murmuring to himself.
"I should talk to Jingtian about this, and see how she recorded it. If it's not written in the family history, that's best; if it is, hopefully, she won't include it. That way, Yuanjiao could have a better life, and this lineage could face less slander and disparagement in the future..."
————
Li Tongya departed from Mount Lijing where the autumn leaves of Mount Dali had already fallen, covering the ground in gold and russet. Following the mountain veins for a while, the landscape slowly transitioned from lush green to exposed brown earth.
The large banyan tree with white leaves still stood tall and proud on the slope. A fox was pushing along a battered wooden cart, wandering back and forth clumsily. The cart was filled with fox cubs of various colors, all chirping and yipping endlessly.
"What a prolific friend you are."
Li Tongya landed beneath the tree swiftly, chuckling softly.
The fox looked downcast and squeaked, "Oh, not at all! With winter coming, food is scarce, and many foxes in the mountains have died... These cubs would likely freeze or starve to death, so I brought them back to raise them myself."
Looking up at Li Tongya, the fox said, "Three hundred and eighty li to the east, there's a deer king who has reached the Qi Cultivation Realm, under a great locust tree... It fits your requirements. The deer herd is likely to migrate in winter; if you go late, you might come up empty-handed."
Li Tongya nodded. Seeing the fox busy and overwhelmed, he dropped a bag of Spirit Paddies on the ground before then cupping his fist and bidding his farewell to the fox. With that, he took off and flew eastward.
After two hours, he finally spotted the big locust tree surrounded by a herd of wild deer. As he descended, the deer scattered in all directions.
Noticing the cleanly gnawed bones of an unidentified wild animal on the ground, Li Tongya surged forward with the wind.
This deer is quite ferocious! Having become a demon, it knows to feed on blood and is very cautious...
After chasing it for dozens of li, Li Tongya finally locked onto a large and strong stag, its coral-like antlers still dripping with bloody droplets.
However, the stag, being only at the second heavenly layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm, could not outrun Li Tongya who flew in the sky and was unaffected by the terrain.
It did not take him long at all to catch up to it.
Li Tongya aimed to capture this beast alive. Without drawing his sword, he brought his palm down onto the stag's head with great might. The stag stumbled but persisted, continuing to run.
After another heavy strike to its back, the stag finally tilted and fell, turning back to attempt a bite fiercely.
Li Tongya drew his sword readily, and with a flash of white light, he cut off the stag's antlers. The deer cried out and fell to its knees, rolling on the ground and leaving a trail of crimson blood behind it.
"Merely a wild demonic beast and not even knowing any spells, it is rather easy to subdue," Li Tongya commented, lifting the stag with his mana and sealing the blood wound on its head. Once he was done, he set off to return to Mount Lijing.
————
In the dim mirror world, layers of gray fog float high in the sky, while below lay a land riddled with scars with countless gray-white buildings lying in ruins among moon-white pebbles.
Lu Jiangxian stood alone amidst it all, holding a bright shining spell in the palm of his hand.
He had been studying alone in this mirror world for years, drawing inspiration from the shamanic magic of Mount Yue, and had finally made some progress.
Some ethereal figures made some small movements, and he lifted his palm slightly. Almost immediately, the bright shining spell falls like rain upon the moon-white pebbles before him.
Crack! Crack!
The moon-white pebbles trembled and began to move, enveloped in a faint white halo. They swirled and spiraled under Lu Jiangxian's feet, assembling into a pile that eventually resembled a humanoid shape, complete with arms and legs.
These moonstone figures—with their white shard-shaped heads—stood dumbfounded, staring at him blankly.
Lu Jiangxian quickly condensed pure white Supreme Yin Moonlight in his hand before reaching out and touching the tops of these figures' heads. The shard-shaped heads immediately lit up.
Instantly, these moonstone figures along with their bright heads, all came to life, digging where needed and moving bricks where required. They worked in perfect harmony, beginning to repair the ruins of the gray-white buildings.
"This spell..."
Having read many of the Li Family's spell manuals, Lu Jiangxian found this spell completely different from the usual ones.
The Li Family's spells followed specific procedures strictly, producing exactly what they were supposed to. However, his spells were whimsical, with no fixed outcome, and were entirely controlled by his thoughts.
With a thought, Lu Jiangxian appeared at the top of a mountain where a smooth platform stood. At the center of it, there was a giant tree with huge white leaves, its roots entwined. Below it, there were stone tables and chairs that exuded an ancient charm.
Listening intently, Lu Jiangxian heard a humming sound from outside the mirror.
"The Li Family of Lijing offers respect along with fine delicacies and wine with unwavering devotion year upon year... Living at the northern vein of Mount Li, we sow in the spring, nurture the wheat through summer, harvest in autumn, and exterminate demons in winter to safeguard the fields. Observing the three yuan festivals and six regular festivals, we maintain reverence—ensuring to pay timely respects. Through the smoke of our offerings and the blood of our sacrifice, we call upon the gods, seeking their blessings."
"It appears they are requesting a talisman," he mumbled to himself quietly.