"Xiao Chuting of the Lixia Xiao Family has advanced to the Purple Mansion Realm today! According to custom, the Xiao Family will separate from the Azure Pond Sect and proclaim itself a Purple Mansion Immortal Clan. In three months, we will hold a ceremony, and all are welcome to attend!"
"Lixia Xiao Family..."
Divine abilities rippled through the sky like waves, passing from Lixia Prefecture over Moongaze Lake, Mushroom Forest Plain, and Azure Pond Peak, all the way to Lin'an Prefecture. Mortals looked up, puzzled, while cultivators glanced at each other before soaring up and inquiring among themselves.
"Xiao Chuting?"
"He actually dares to publicly announce his real name? Is he not afraid to die?"
"Is that not Xiao Family's expert in alchemy? Another Purple Mansion Immortal Clan has emerged..."
Cultivators rose into the air and bowed respectfully to Xiao Chuting. He stood in the sky when a blue-robed man appeared in the distance, surrounded by the radiance of his divine abilities.
He cupped his fist and praised, "Congratulations on breaking through to the Purple Mansion Realm, fellow Daoist! I am Ning Tiaoxiao from the Azure Pond Sect. On behalf of the sect, we offer you the five western towns of Lixia as a congratulatory gift for attaining mastery of the divine abilities and wish you great success in refining your Golden Core."
Xiao Chuting smiled gently and replied, "My family has served the sect faithfully for over three centuries and is still grateful... In the future, we hope the immortal sect will continue to look out for us."
Hearing this, Ning Tiaoxiao beamed and laughed heartily. "You are an understanding man, fellow Daoist... The Xiao Family will surely prosper!"
He then adopted a more serious tone. "Si Yuanbai was framed by a villain and has now been released from the tower. The sect has already compensated him for his losses. If my subordinates have caused offense, I hope we can mend relations."
Xiao Chuting nodded with a smile as more figures appeared beside him, surrounded by the radiance of their divine abilities.
"Congratulations from Golden Tang Gate!"
"Best wishes from Changxiao Gate!"
A crowd of Purple Mansion Realm cultivators gathered around him, their smiles masking the fact that they had once viewed peak Foundation Establishment cultivators, such as Xiao Chuting had been, as expendable.
The brilliance of their divine abilities radiated, making them appear ethereal. Even a three-eared fox demon perched on a cloud to look down at him with a grin.
————
"Xiao Chuting of the Lixia Xiao Family has advanced to the Purple Mansion Realm today!"
The echoes continued unabated.
Li Tongya stood at the peak of Mount Lijing and looked up slowly, his expression full of delight. He said in a low voice, "To think that Chi Wei died so quickly..."
Beside him, a young man holding a golden longbow raised his head slightly and said softly, "Good riddance."
Li Tongya gripped the sword in his hand and spoke in a low tone, "This is important. Three months later, I will personally visit the Xiao Family. Meanwhile, dispatch Donghe to convey our congratulations."
Li Xuanfeng acknowledged the instruction and slung his bow over his back, then rode the wind down right away. Before long, Li Xuanxuan and Li Xuanling had hurried up the mountain, both with joyous expressions.
Li Xuanxuan commented, "Chi Wei is finally dead! The Azure Pond Sect is now in chaos and has lost some influence over the various prefectures."
"Indeed!" Li Xuanling nodded enthusiastically and added, "Now, the Xiao Family controls most of Lixia Prefecture, making Moongaze Lake a remote, isolated enclave only connected to Mushroom Forest Plain by a few roads. Moongaze Lake is adjacent to Golden Tang Gate and Mount Dali, and beyond the desert lies the Golden Feather Sect. The Azure Pond Sect will inevitably have a period of weakness ahead, and Moongaze Lake is the tricky, undesirable burden for them that is hard to control."
Li Tongya nodded slightly and said in a low voice, "In a few months, I will attend the Xiao Family's ceremony and inquire about these matters with Xiao Yuansi."
"Understood."
Both men cupped their fists respectfully, but Li Xuanxuan frowned with some worry and said, "If we are going to celebrate this achievement of reaching the Purple Mansion Realm, we cannot attend empty-handed... Offering spirit items of the Qi Cultivation Realm would look shabby, but our supply of Foundation Establishment Realm treasures is depleted. What should we do?"
After a few moments of thought, Li Tongya replied, "We must present a gift of the Foundation Establishment Realm. The Xiao Family is on good terms with us, and we are also relying on them, so we must not cut corners."
"Do not worry about the Foundation Establishment Realm treasures; I will visit the fox at Mount Dali later. If there is no news, I will head to Mount Yue." He paused for a moment and then asked, "How many Spirit Stones are left at home?"
Li Xuanxuan understood Li Tongya's intention and replied quickly, "The Spirit Stones offered annually by Mount Yue accumulate each year. After meeting the needs of the family's cultivators, there are about a hundred remaining. Adding the various items looted from Mount Yue before, the total comes to about two hundred."
Li Tongya nodded and instructed gently, "Good, bring them over. This should be enough to buy some decent precious medicine, so we can rest easy."
He waved his hand, and the two withdrew. Soon after, a clan soldier approached with his head bowed. He looked at Li Tongya with reverence and said respectfully, "Ancestor, Li Qiuyang requests an audience."
"Qiuyang?" Li Tongya raised an eyebrow, immediately guessing Li Qiuyang's intentions. He then responded in a low voice, "Let him come up."
After a while, a figure appeared on the stone path, draped in a green robe. His temples were graying and his face showed slight wrinkles, marked by guilt as he bowed deeply before him.
"Congratulations on breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, Clan Uncle!"
Li Tongya hummed in response. Seeing that Li Qiuyang's cultivation remained stuck at the peak of the Embryonic Breathing Realm with his vitality declining and his spirit now dejected, Li Tongya remarked gently, "I remember you went into seclusion to break through to the Qi Cultivation Realm years ago... It seems it has not worked."
"I am deeply ashamed!" Li Qiuyang sighed with remorse, bowing his head.
"I took the family's Cave Spring Clear Spirit Technique and Cave Spring Clear Qi into seclusion for a long time but failed to absorb the spiritual qi of heaven and earth. Instead, I lost some years of my lifespan... wasted the family's spirit pills... I..." he stuttered in shame and guilt.
Seeing Li Qiuyang in tears, Li Tongya sighed softly and said in a low voice, "Embryonic Breathing Realm and Qi Cultivation Realm are both mortal realms... Once you're over sixty and your vitality starts declining, cultivation becomes increasingly difficult. Only upon reaching the Foundation Establishment Realm can one somewhat limit signs of aging. You have already passed fifty, and your chances were slim from the start. Do not be too hard on yourself."
He patted Li Qiuyang's shoulder and said gently, "Right now, the only option is to consume various unrefined qi to advance to the Qi Cultivation Realm. If you wait any longer, you might not even be able to obtain any unrefined qi!"
Consuming unrefined qi was much easier than refining normal spiritual qi. In those days, Shamoli took only a year to break through after consuming unrefined qi, while others like Li Xuanfeng and Li Xuanling needed three to five years, showing the clear difference between the two methods.
"Understood. Thank you, Clan Uncle!" Li Qiuyang said as he nodded silently.
Li Tongya advised, "You are an elder of the family and the first elder to advance to Qi Cultivation at your age. You took spirit pills and the family's secret medicinal pills without successfully breaking through, showing how challenging it is. Your lesson will help future Embryonic Breathing Realm cultivators over fifty understand the benefit of unrefined qi and avoid futile efforts that only shorten their lifespan."
The secret medicinal pills naturally referred to talisman pills. Over the years, Lu Jiangxian converted several talisman qi of the Qi Cultivation Realm into talisman pills, resulting in abundant reserves in the Li Family. They didn't dare to sell them casually due to their ability to help cultivators break through minor stages.
Li Qiuyang swore a Profound Scenery Spiritual Oath before receiving one to speed up his progress by several years.
Li Tongya's words immediately improved Li Qiuyang's mood. Offering his experience for the benefit of younger generations, he felt his loss of lifespan was worthwhile.
Cupping his fist respectfully to Li Tongya, Li Qiuyang lamented, "I do not mind if Clan Uncle finds this laughable, but in my youth, I had a fateful encounter with a spirit fruit. My early cultivation progressed rapidly, and I believed I was destined for great things... I never expected it would later hinder my path. The swift changes between fortune and misfortune are beyond words. If future generations learn from my experience, perhaps they will avoid detours, and it would have been worthwhile."
"Indeed."
Li Tongya comforted him with a few gentle words, then took out a jade vial, performing incantations that conjured droplets of crystal-clear talisman water in the air. He collected them into the jade vial and then sealed the vial with a spell before handing it to Li Qiuyang.