Meanwhile in Lijing Town...
Autumn rain once again sprinkled down gently onto the earth. The forest leaves had fallen, covering the ground in shades of gold and deep red; the woods between the mountains were serene, and the distant sound of something slicing through the air could be heard.
A young man in a black robe, with a sword strapped to his back, leaped through the forest with great ease. His lips were pursed, eyes slightly narrowed and his cheeks thin, giving him a rather fierce look.
Li Yuanjiao vaulted from the tip of a slender tree branch, causing it to sway from the impact. He paused in midair like a swallow, quickly adjusted his step, and gently landed back on the ground, splashing a few drops of the chilly autumn rain.
"The River Crossing Torrential Step is indeed a Grade Three footwork technique, and it certainly is extremely difficult to master! I heard that only Uncle Ling managed to master it in two years... For others, it takes five or six years. In three years, I have only grasped a few of its forms..." Li Yuanjiao sighed as he closed his eyes slowly, his spiritual sense extending to scan around him.
At just eighteen years old, he had broken through to the Jade Capital Stage before the end of last year. Judging by the passage of time, he should be able to break through to the Qi Cultivation Realm around the age of twenty.
For the past three years, things had been fairly peaceful for the Li Family. The Xiao Family had rebuilt the Guli Road, bringing many rogue cultivators through the area, most of whom were in the Embryonic Breathing Realm.
Occasionally, some Qi Cultivators could also be seen roaming around. The passing rogue cultivators would often stop to rest in Lijing Town, and those from other families would sometimes chat with the Li Family cultivators to exchange goods and information.
Most of the Embryonic Breathing Realm demons from Mount Dali had not yet gained intelligence and continued to venture outside. With the Li Family's increased numbers, they now had cultivators stationed for defense and had even sent people to patrol the surrounding forests.
In three years, a demon beast at the third heavenly layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm, which had secretly preyed on the townspeople, was eventually found and eliminated by An Zheyan swiftly after Li Xuanxuan had sent him to investigate the matter.
After practicing several sword moves, Li Yuanjiao's ears perked up as he saw a middle-aged man riding the wind before descending in front of him.
The man stood upright, his eyes piercing, and his gray robe was spotless. He had a faint smile on his face as he assessed the young boy before him.
"Your footwork technique is quite good."
His voice was warm and welcoming.
"Greetings, Uncle!"
Li Yuanjiao beamed and he quickly sheathed his sword. "Thank you for the compliment. I'm just showing off my mediocre skills," he replied respectfully.
This man was Li Xuanling, who had broken through to the Qi Cultivation Realm last year, condensing the River True Essence and emerging as the fourth Qi Cultivator in the main branch of the Li Family.
His expertise in the River Crossing Torrential Step was profound, and he expertly pointed out the shortcomings in Li Yuanjiao's footwork, which the latter promptly corrected.
It was only then that Li Xuanling smiled and commended him, saying, "It seems you have been diligently cultivating these past years... Last year, you broke through to the Jade Capital Stage, and if you can advance to the Qi Cultivation Realm before twenty, you'll have a good chance of reaching the Foundation Establishment Realm."
Watching Li Yuanjiao nod respectfully, Li Xuanling then sighed and continued, "You and Qinghong both have the talisman seed and are blessed with spiritual orifices... Only Brother Feng can compare to the two of you. You are all seeds capable of achieving the Foundation Establishment Realm, so don't slack off."
The two spoke for a while, and the rain in the mountains grew heavier. It dripped through the branches, seeping through the faint golden light of the Sun Rite Profound Light Formation. Li Yuanjiao followed Li Xuanling along the stone paths through the mountains and arrived at the courtyard.
Having broken through to the Qi Cultivation Realm, Li Xuanling was now protected by his true essence and not a single drop of rain touched his skin. Meanwhile, Li Yuanjiao's sleeves were slightly wet, having been dampened by the rain.
As they approached the side courtyard, they saw Chen Donghe reading a jade slip carefully under the eaves, looking very relaxed.
Chen Donghe, at the third heavenly layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm, was now forty years old. Since he had reached the Qi Cultivation Realm early, he looked younger than his real age.
Chen Donghe raised an eyebrow and then cupped his fist.
"Ah, it's you, Xuanling..." he said with a soft smile.
Li Xuanling laughed heartily and replied, "I haven't seen you in years, Brother-In-Law! For the past few years, I've been cultivating in seclusion to break through, and when I finally emerged, you had gone to Mount Huaqian. Now that you're back, I must make the trip to meet you."
Mount Lijing was not known as a famous mountain range, and its spiritual qi was limited. While it could support Embryonic Breathing Realm cultivators, it was now strained by the many Qi Cultivators of the Li Family, making resources scarce.
Li Tongya was working to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, and the entire Meiche Peak cave dwelling had been given up for his sole use. Meanwhile, the remaining Lijing Peak struggled to support Li Xuanfeng and Li Xuanxuan, and with the addition of Li Xuanling, the spiritual qi had grown even thinner. Chen Donghe was thus assigned to Mount Huaqian, which reduced his time at home.
The three of them entered the courtyard, and Chen Donghe stepped forward and whispered, "Swords."
The two immediately understood what he meant and placed their swords in their storage pouches.
Most swords were made of sharp metallic materials, and since Li Jingtian and others were in the side courtyard with their mortal bodies, the sharp energy could easily harm them.
Entering the house, they saw only a small table placed beside the window. Li Jingtian wore a jade hairpin and sat next to a girl, who was kneeling and gazing out the window at the autumn rain. Hearing the noise, she turned and greeted Li Xuanling warmly.
"Brother Ling, you're back!" she exclaimed happily.
Li Xuanling laughed heartily and stepped forward, taking the little girl's hand in his. The child looked up obediently, her cheeks rosy as she called out to him in a soft and meek voice.
"Uncle..."
This little girl was Li Jingtian's daughter, Li Qingxiao. Now over two years old and approaching three, she was quite well-behaved. Li Xuanling watched as Li Jingtian took Li Qingxiao away, and Li Yuanjiao and Chen Donghe sat down by the table.
Chen Donghe seemed puzzled and broke the silence first, saying, "I was summoned home this time, but I'm not sure what it's about..."
Li Xuanling nodded and spoke seriously, "Since Father retreated to the Meiche Peak cave dwelling a year ago, all the spiritual qi on Mount Meiche has flowed toward the summit... Even clouds have been forming inside and outside the cave dwelling, which is quite mysterious. A year later, there were faint water sounds inside the cave, and at midnight, the sound of rivers flowing could be heard. Clear water seeped through the cracks in the walls outside the cave, glistening everywhere."
This was Chen Donghe's first time hearing about the signs accompanying the breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Realm, and his face was filled with admiration. Since he was cultivating the River One Qi Technique as well, he listened attentively and sighed.
"Everyone says that establishing the immortal foundation is when true wonders begin, and that is indeed the case!"
Li Xuanling took a sip of his tea and glanced at Li Yuanjiao.
"The night before last, the cave dwelling was completely silent, and dew no longer settled on the ground. It's been quiet for two days now..." he said softly, his voice trailing off toward the end of his sentence.
"What..?"
Chen Donghe raised an eyebrow, a little shocked, murmuring, "He must have succeeded... right? Second Uncle is not one to fail."
Li Tongya had always planned everything carefully and meticulously before taking any action, and Chen Donghe had admired him since his childhood. Since Li Tongya went into seclusion, Chen Donghe never imagined that he could fail.
The Li Family had no precedent for breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, and hearing this uncertain news left Chen Donghe feeling empty and speechless.
In that moment, Chen Donghe's mind was flooded with memories... from practicing the River One Qi Technique and the Profound Water Sword Technique , to tirelessly training day and night.
That year, when he was just seven years old, Chen Donghe had kneeled in the courtyard. The autumn wind was bleak and the chill was biting. Above him, Li Tongya had smiled at Li Xiangping and made a comment he still remembered clearly to this day.
"This child is reliable, and may prove useful."
Back then, the young Chen Donghe had looked up and met Li Tongya's calm and deep gaze, and he was instantly filled with admiration and respect for the man before him.
He secretly thought to himself, I want to become someone like him in the future.
Chen Donghe suddenly realized that his steady and quiet demeanor, composed elegance, and careful consideration in his actions were all imitations of this elder who commanded respect from all the families around the lake.
To Chen Donghe, Li Xiangping was like a father, and Li Tongya was like a mentor.
This realization left Chen Donghe both disoriented and relieved. He picked up his tea bowl gently and took a sip of tea to hide the fear rising in his heart.
The thought of Li Tongya failing to break through lingered in his mind for a while before Chen Donghe finally laughed and made a loud and confident declaration.
"It's absolutely impossible for him to fail!"