Li Tongya ascended on the wind, while the Cloud Crowned Peak market below grew smaller.
He mused to himself, Our family is backed by the mountains, producing many herbs and spirit items... Having a shop in the market is essential. With alchemy recipes and furnaces at home, establishing a lineage of alchemists is crucial, and medicines are indispensable. This clever and bold shopkeeper could be useful later on, so I'll keep him as a potential asset.
Reflecting on how others had reacted to his presence, he was deeply moved. He had always known Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators were respected, but not to such an extent.
He recalled how when Si Yuanbai descended from the sky, the Li brothers could only muster a facade of bravado. Now, having reached the Foundation Establishment Realm himself, he was among the same rank, being addressed as "Ancestor" and on par with a peak master of Azure Pond Sect.
"There are the three sects, seven gates. Azure Pond had thirty-six peaks and most Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators, around forty of them... The Golden Feather Sect and Yue Cultivating Sect combined have fifty or so, and the remaining seven gates have around fifty to sixty. Adding in the various families and rogue cultivators, Yue State likely has just over two hundred Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators."
With a population of millions and tens of thousands of cultivators, only a little over two hundred were at the Foundation Establishment Realm, highlighting their rarity.
Though the Li Family couldn't compare to the Xiao Family, they had solid foundations now compared to other families. With the support of their talisman seeds, Li Xuanfeng was on the path to the Foundation Establishment Realm.
"As for the Purple Mansion Realm..." Li Tongya sighed. After meeting so many people, only his fourth brother Li Chejing and An Jingming showed potential to reach the Purple Mansion Realm. Adding those with mere passing encounters, perhaps Ning Wan could be included.
"Xuanxuan and Xuanling lack spiritual orifices and rely on talisman seeds... Reaching the Qi Cultivation Realm was already a huge feat for them. Xuanfeng is too fierce and wild. He is good at killing men and demons, but likely will not reach the Purple Mansion Realm. Yuanjiao and Qinghong have better talents, but not to a monstrous level. With talisman seeds, they might have a chance at the Foundation Establishment Realm, but Purple Mansion Realm is still a long shot... Who knows how many generations it will take for the Li Family to produce someone like that?"
He then sighed into the open sky, chastising himself for being too impatient.
Then he muttered, "One or two Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators should be enough to maintain the family legacy while slowly accumulating more... The Xiao Family needed three hundred years for a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator to emerge. The Li Family is not even a hundred years old yet, so demanding more is pointless!"
Refocusing his thoughts on the spirit medicine, he considered the clans he could approach.
"The Xiao and Yu families are out of the question, and the Fei Family is as poor as ours... The Yuan Family has not had much contact with us. However..."
An idea suddenly struck him, and he thought to himself, There's one place worth checking out... I should speak to that person! Since we're neighbors, this is the perfect opportunity to form good relations.
Having made up his mind, Li Tongya rose into the air and headed west.
"Li Yuanjiao!" Li Qinghong called out as she approached with a big smile. Her clear voice snapped Li Yuanjiao out of his thoughts.
He grunted angrily and scolded, "Li Qinghong! It has been three years, and you cannot even bring yourself to call me big brother?"
"Heh."
Li Qinghong planted her long spear on the ground. The red tassel fluttered in the air as her crimson robe swayed gently in the breeze. "Are you thinking about my future sister-in-law?" she teased.
Li Yuanjiao blushed, letting out a humph. He smiled and drew his sword, feigning anger.
"Still so cheeky. Call me big brother!"
With that, he raised his sword to fend off Li Qinghong's sharp spear. They laughed as they sparred for dozens of exchanges. Li Qinghong's spear skills had improved significantly, causing Li Yuanjiao to raise an eyebrow in surprise. Despite this, he did not shy away from taunting her relentlessly.
"You spent all those years with a clan and only learned this much?" He chuckled.
Li Qinghong didn't respond but swung her spear even more fiercely. They both employed the River Crossing Torrential Step , though neither was very skilled at it. Each one would execute half a move for every full one of the other, each taking turns gaining and losing the upper hand.
After reaching a stalemate, they burst into laughter and stopped their sparring, sitting down to chat.
"Qinghong, your spear skills have greatly improved, and your cultivation has also increased. Those three years with the Fei Family were not wasted!" Li Yuanjiao praised, speaking earnestly this time.
"Brother, you do not know this, but the spiritual qi concentration on the Fei Family's Glacial Cloud Peak greatly surpasses ours. Moreover, they have a vast territory and many peaks, so it is no wonder they produce so many Qi Cultivators," Li Qinghong replied with a smile.
Li Yuanjiao wiped his brow and sheathed his sword. With a laugh, he said, "Is that not the truth? If our family did not have Mount Huaqian and Mount Yue to support us, where would our steady supply of Spirit Rice come from? We would not even be able to pay the family's tributes! Our elders and we juniors alike would probably delay our breakthroughs by three or four years."
The two locked eyes. Li Qinghong said softly, "Brother, you are absolutely right. From my perspective, without the family's expansion and prosperity, how could the branches and clans be as compliant as they are now? People are motivated by profit and fear death. The ancestor uses intimidation, and the elders placate with benefits... This is the way to achieve lasting stability."
"I never thought you would have such insight," Li Yuanjiao teased her before saying seriously, "You have indeed hit the nail on the head. With our eldest brother gone, it is up to you and I to lead our generation... We must plan carefully to maintain control over the various clans and branches."
Li Qinghong's sincere nod showed her agreement, and Li Yuanjiao appreciated her understanding, feeling the mutual trust between them deepening.
Suddenly, he recalled something, his expression changing as he asked in a grave tone, "I heard from the elders that you intend to practice the Purple Thunder Secret Origin Technique ? Father asked me to dissuade you... Qinghong, if you have something on your mind, why not share it with me?"
Li Qinghong nodded slowly and spoke softly.
"That's right... The technique is exceptionally powerful and perfectly matches a dharma artifact in the family. I love the spear, so how could I not be tempted by such a technique? My branch already has Yuanyun to carry on the lineage, so I am free from such a burden... Not being able to bear an heir is no problem."
Li Yuanjiao could only nod. After three years apart, both siblings had made great progress. They exchanged thoughts and judged people, appreciating each other's growth.
Looking up, Li Yuanjiao noticed a streak of light coming from the east. "Uncle is back from his hunt! His Golden Age Longbow is truly dazzling," he remarked with awe.
Li Qinghong's mood dimmed as she responded softly, "Do not laugh at me, brother... I am ambitious, so I understand him well. Uncle is skilled in the art of killing but is constrained within the small world of Mount Liqing. I fear he is not content. People like him are meant to roam the world like the heroes in novels, settling scores freely, but he is confined to this mountain. Naturally, he is frustrated, though he never expresses it."
Li Yuanjiao froze for a moment, realizing this for the first time. He raised an eyebrow and asked quietly, "Do the elders know...?"
Li Qinghong pursed her lips before replying, "How could they not know? They see it but are wary of the circumstances and say nothing. Every elder carries their burdens, all for the family."
Li Yuanjiao remained silent, gripping his sword tightly. After a long pause, he sighed.
"With our family's strength currently, it will take several generations to build an immortal clan."