Li Yuanxiu wiped his hands that were stained with the blood of the demon beasts and slowly descended from the altar.
His uncle, Li Xuanfeng, had already inquired about the situation and, after confirming that no one had received a talisman, had departed on the wind, leaving the younger generation behind to handle the aftermath.
With the sacrificial ritual completed, Li Xuanling took a talisman pill and retreated to the mountains to cultivate in seclusion. Having been at the fifth stage of the Embryonic Breathing Realm for several years, he planned to use the power of the talisman pill to break through to the sixth stage.
Touching the jade bottle in his pocket, Li Yuanxiu knew it contained a portion of unrefined qi.
Chen Donghe had been collecting it for two years, and after Li Xuanfeng emerged from seclusion, he and Chen Donghe had vigorously completed the collection over the past few months... specifically preparing it for Shamoli.
He glanced at Li Yuanjiao, who was engrossed in his own thoughts.
He handed him the jade bottle, whispering, "The family's unrefined qi is ready. You should go up the mountain to fetch the Purple Thunder Secret Origin Technique , Make sure you make the necessary adjustments to the beginning and the end of the content before taking it to Shamoli for his cultivation."
"Understood."
Li Yuanjiao accepted the jade bottle with a curt nod. Perhaps feeling a bit down for not receiving a talisman this year, he took the bottle and tucked it into his chest pocket, murmuring, "Why did we not receive a talisman this year? Our fathers' generation used to get one, so why not us..."
"Well..."
At that, Li Yuanxiu smiled softly and ruffled his hair, responding, "Don't overthink it. If it did not happen this time, there's always a next time. We're only in our teens, there's no need to rush. Look at Qinghong, she did not receive a talisman either, yet she remains happy, training with her spear."
"She's just too carefree!" Li Yuanjiao laughed as he thought of Li Qinghong's cheerful demeanor. His spirits visibly lifted, but he had not expected a playful slap on his back, causing him to stagger.
Turning around, he saw Li Qinghong with a smirk, holding a wooden spear as usual. She teased with a smile, "I could hear you gossiping about me from afar, Brother Jiao!"
"Hmph."
Li Qinghong was a favorite among the family elders, and Li Yuanjiao, wary of her complaints, chose not to argue and turned back—only to see Li Yuanyun holding back laughter, thoroughly amused by the scene.
"Brother Yun! What's so funny?!" Li Yuanjiao grumbled.
Li Yuanxiu finally could not hold back his laughter. He bent down to scoop both Li Yuanyun and Li Qinghong into his arms, balanced one in each, and smiled warmly.
"I find it funny too."
"Brother!"
Li Yuanjiao was also laughing now, but he quickly straightened up and became serious again, shedding his childish demeanor as he spoke.
"I have heard that absorbing unrefined qi is much easier than pure spiritual qi from the heaven and earth... It probably won't take long for you to need to mobilize troops and get ready."
"Of course," Li Yuanxiu nodded and smiled. "Currently, our standing army numbers are over five thousand. With just one command from me, we can mobilize over ten thousand troops. If Uncle takes care of the Qi Cultivators of Mount Yue, it won't take longer than three days before the entire Eastern Mount Yue is under our control."
Li Yuanyun, having read for several years, could not help but feel excited by these words, sensing the thrill of witnessing history. Li Yuanjiao nodded in agreement, and they walked down the street together, observing the clan soldiers who stepped aside with a slight smile playing on their lips.
————
"Brother Shamoli, I have brought the items for you."
Li Yuanjiao held a jade slip in his hand, knocking on the stone door.
After a moment, the door slid open loudly and Shamoli emerged—his beard unkempt, his expression full of anticipation.
He stammered, "Brother, did you... did you manage to obtain the technique and the spiritual qi of heaven and earth?"
Li Yuanjiao saw that Shamoli had made progress in his cultivation over the past few days and had not wasted time. He nodded in affirmation and replied, "Yes."
Overjoyed, Shamoli took the jade slip and jade bottle from Li Yuanjiao's hands, continuously expressing his gratitude.
Patting Shamoli on the shoulder, Li Yuanjiao pulled out two more jade bottles from his chest pocket and explained, "I have also obtained two pills for you. One is called the Snake Essence Pill, which is used for breaking through to the Qi Cultivation Realm."
Shamoli took the jade bottle from Li Yuanjiao, and upon channeling his spiritual sense into it, indeed found a white round pill inside it.
Li Yuanjiao continued, "The second one is a unique pill of our Easterners, called Moonlight Pill. Take it immediately to break through to the sixth stage of the Embryonic Breathing Realm."
The pill Li Yuanjiao brought was in fact a talisman pill, but fearing that Shamoli might inadvertently cause trouble if he knew its true nature, he had not revealed its real name and instead had made up a name for it.
Shamoli, upon receiving the bottle and seeing a white pill covered in intricate patterns, felt it was even more precious than the Snake Essence Pill and said hurriedly, "This... this is too valuable! How can I possibly accept it?! After all the trouble I have caused you, I can't possibly accept such a great favor from you...!"
"Enough of that. Time is of the essence!" Li Yuanjiao said as he cut him off with this reminder. He instructed Shamoli to take a spiritual oath to never reveal anything about the pill or the technique before cupping his fist to him and leaving.
Shamoli courteously saw him off, then turned back with renewed vigor as he entered the secret chamber happily. He carefully placed the jade slip on his left and the jade bottle on his right then gazed at the two items on the ground in a daze.
A sudden change from elation to a mix of guilt and fear overwhelmed him, coming so swiftly that it made his head spin. He understood all too well that opening the coveted jade slip and consuming the spiritual qi that he received without lifting his finger could grant him a lifespan of two hundred years as a Qi Cultivator, and the kingship he had dreamt of for over twenty years would be within easy reach.
Yet, Shamoli also recognized that by doing so, he would lead the foreign army across the soil of his homeland, subjugating hundreds of thousands of his people in body and spirit.
Eastern Mount Yue would be reduced to nothing more than a name. The entire nation, from the court to the common people, would depend on the whim of the Easterners. His elder brother, who had always been superior to him, would also be executed, leaving him, a mediocre man, to rule Eastern Mount Yue.
"Is it worth it..? That is the lifetime effort of my father..."
Shamoli could almost see his stern father standing coldly before him. Suddenly, the reachable throne and spiritual qi lost their allure. He wavered for a moment and then, frightened by his own hesitation, began to tremble.
Shamoli did not dare contemplate how the Li Family might deal with him, aware that the family had Qi Cultivators in its late stage, likely observing him from the sky at that very moment. Even if he were to achieve the Qi Cultivation Realm and attempt to flee, he could not possibly escape far...
"Father, I'm afraid of death... Who isn't? If I weren't so afraid of dying, I would have faced execution in the palace long ago instead of fleeing to the eastern lands... I really don't want to die!" Shamoli cried out as he slowly closed his eyes, recalling how his father, Mu Jiaoman, had consolidated his territory in the months following the death of Jianixi, using numerous underhanded methods and killing many of their own people in the process. And yet now here he was, weakly submitting to the Easterners.
With tears, he sneered to embolden himself, his eyes fiercely wide open as he muttered, "How can I say no? This is what you taught me, Father..."
He picked up the jade slip from the ground, sat up, and began reading intently. In a guilty tone, he whispered, "Qimu does not understand the vast ambitions of the Easterners; he will eventually end up delivering Eastern Mount Yue into their hands. Only I can save it... Father, only I can preserve Eastern Mount Yue."
His eyes became resolute as he found justifications for his actions, casting aside all his feelings of burden and guilt. Shamoli bowed his head, ground his teeth, and wiped his tears as he continued to immerse himself in the jade slip, gradually stabilizing his emotions.