In the main courtyard of the Li Residence, Li Tongya and the others were seated while Li Yesheng stood in the courtyard, reading from a cloth.
“229 households in Lijing Village, 101 in Lichuankou Village, 297 in Jingyang Village, and 158 in Lidaokou Village. That makes a total of 785 households and a total population of 4280 people.”
“4280 people, with roughly three able-bodied men per household. Surely, we can find one or two individuals with spiritual orifices,” Li Xiangping murmured thoughtfully, leaning against a wooden table.
“About the elders from Ye Family who visited me last night... They hope to restore their ancestral surname,” Li Yesheng reported with a troubled smile on his face.
“Ancestral surname?” Li Tongya asked, looking up with a puzzled expression.
Li Mutian, observing their confusion, coughed and began to explain, “The Ye Family was originally a side branch of our Li Family. Due to a past mistake, they were expelled and changed their surname to Ye. No one spoke of this incident ever since, but now, seeing our family’s newfound destiny, the Ye Family wishes to reattach themselves and reclaim their original surname.”
Hearing this, Li Yesheng nodded in understanding. He recalled the previous night, listening to the elders from the Ye Family who had wept while revealing these ancient secrets. If it were not for the Li Family’s newfound immortal destiny, he might have truly believed that the elders’ intentions were solely for reuniting with the main family.
“If any member of the Ye Family possesses a spiritual orifice, we’ll allow them to revert to the Li surname and become a branch of our family,” Li Xiangping quickly responded after listening to Li Mutian’s explanation, instructing Li Yesheng to convey this message to the elders of the Ye Family.
He then turned to Li Mutian and asked, “Father, who will be the main people in charge of these villages?”
“Chen Erniu is clever and capable. He’s originally from Lichuankou Village, so he will be a good fit there. As for Jingyang Village, with its large population and wealth, we need someone who is attentive and perceptive. Let’s have Uncle Ren oversee it.”
Li Mutian took a sip of his tea before continuing, “Lidaokou Village, being near the Guli Road, attracts many refugees. The situation there is quite complex. Xu Wenshan, he’s a shrewd one. Let’s have him and his group of refugees handle it.”
“Great decision, Father,” Li Xiangping agreed, glancing down at the book he held about cultivating spirit plants.
“Our first priority should be to use the Spirit Seeking Art from this book to survey the earth veins of the villages. We need to locate the spirit fields as soon as possible to start planting Spirit Paddies and White Essence Fruits.”
————
Li Chejing, riding on the flying shuttle, gazed down at the vast expanse of land below. The houses seemed like mere ants, and before long, the grandeur of the city faded into the distance. Any sorrow he felt about leaving home quickly dissipated, replaced by a stirring excitement in his heart.
A great man should ride the wind and go on an adventure with his sword!
After about four hours of flight, Li Chejing spotted an impressive range of mountains emerging before him. The mountains were adorned with a series of pavilions and halls, seamlessly blending into one another, creating a scene that seemed as if it was plucked right out of a fairy tale.
Amidst this picturesque scene, a flock of red-crowned cranes danced through the air. Si Yuanbai, his mentor, ceased his meditative state and tossed a token ahead, waiting in anticipation.
A white crane caught the token in its mouth and said, “Ah, Martial Uncle Yuanbai has returned.”
It then approached Li Chejing and asked curiously, “And who might this young one be?”
Overwhelmed by the sight of a talking immortal beast, Li Chejing found himself speechless.
Si Yuanbai introduced him with a smile, “He will be a new disciple in Qingsui Peak.”
“Congratulations, Martial Uncle,” the immortal crane responded, its wings fluttering gently as a transparent light screen opened a passage for them.
It was then that Li Chejing realized there was a vast and almost invisible barrier around the Azure Pond Sect, creating a barrier that separated the spiritual qi within from the outside.
As they entered the mountain gate, Li Chejing felt a surge of vitality.
“The spiritual qi here is so dense!” he exclaimed in amazement.
Si Yuanbai chuckled lightly at his reaction. “This is a spirit array in the heart of the Azure Pond Sect. It’s a marvel, separating the inside from the outside and making the spirit veins of Mount Azure Pond exclusive to our sect. With the array’s power, even a cultivator in the Foundation Establishment realm can prevent cultivators in the Purple Mansion realm from breaching our defenses.”
“How marvelous!” Li Chejing exclaimed.
I wonder if I could learn this array and set one up on the mountain back at home.
Noticing Li Chejing’s awestruck expression, Si Yuanbai assumed he was overwhelmed by the wonders of the sect and explained, “Immortal cultivation involves a hundred arts—arrays, pills, magic artifacts, talismans, commanding beasts, veins surveying, and more. Each has its own depth, so it’s best to specialize in one.”
Li Chejing asked curiously, “Master, which of the hundred arts of immortal cultivation do you practice?”
Si Yuanbai replied with a hint of pride, “Qingsui Peak is renowned for its swordsmanship among the thirty-six peaks of Mount Azure Pond...”
Li Chejing, nodding in understanding, glanced at Si Yuanbai’s sword which hung at his waist. “So, that means... you also practice talisman-making?”
Si Yuanbai was caught slightly off guard and responded awkwardly, “Well, your grandmaster passed away early before I became an expert with swords. Qingsui Peak needed financial support, so I initially took up talisman-making. Surprisingly, I found myself becoming more adept at it over time...”
“I see.” Li Chejing nodded understandingly.
“Let’s go meet some of your martial brothers first,” Si Yuanbai suggested, guiding Li Chejing through the peaks. They landed on Qingsui Peak, which was the lowest peak, and were instantly greeted by a man and a woman.
“You’re my seventh disciple. This is your third senior brother, Xiao Yuansi, who has attained the seventh layer in the Qi Cultivation Realm, and your fourth senior sister, Yuan Tuan, who has attained the third layer Qi Cultivation Realm,” Si Yuanbai introduced.
Li Chejing respectfully greeted them. Xiao Yuan Si, with his thick brows and broad features, handed over a scroll of jade slips, saying, “I found this volume of sword techniques on my travels. Take it as a gift, Junior Brother.”
Yuan Tuan offered a faint smile and handed over a jade pendant, saying, “This pendant aids in calming the mind and is beneficial for meditation. It’s particularly useful for those in the Embryonic Breathing realm. I’d like you to have it, Junior Brother.”
Li Chejing expressed his gratitude to each of them and then asked curiously, “Are the other senior brothers and sisters in seclusion?”
Si Yuanbai answered with a gentle smile, “Your eldest senior brother was exceptionally talented. He reached the peak of Qi Cultivation Realm last year but tragically failed and perished while trying to break through the Foundation Establishment realm.”
Li Chejing, caught off guard by this revelation and rendered speechless, only looked at Si Yuanbai with a conflicted expression on his face.
Si Yuanbai continued, “As for your other senior brothers and sisters, some fell to demons, others during treasure hunts, or succumbed to bottlenecks in their cultivation. They’re all buried here on the peak. We’ll pay our respects to them together.”
Seeing Li Chejing’s solemn expression, Si Yuanbai spoke with an edge of cold realism, “The path of immortal cultivation is one of great struggle and peril! It’s about fighting and winning! If you can’t win, you face death! There's no shame in it!”
He looked firmly at Li Chejing and added, “If you, Li Chejing, choose to fight and fail, it could be your end. The same goes for your family. Here at Qingsui Peak, we strive for victory despite knowing the risks. In this world, it’s the survival of the fittest. There’s no use in denying it.”