Xu Gongming rode his horse along the mountain path. It had just rained, so the ground was very muddy and his horse's hooves were splashing mud around. The dripping sound of water in the woods and the oddly pitched wind made him frown slightly.
Now at the fourth stage of the Embryonic Breathing Realm, Xu Gongming could even outrun the horse beneath him. However, people are inherently lazy, and even immortals are no exception. He would rather stay indoors on a rainy day than come out and walk in the mud.
Xu Gongming, now in his thirties, had taken over family affairs after the death of Old Master Xu last year. The mountain had sent someone to offer condolences, as Old Master Xu was, after all, the son of Xu San, and there were still ties of affection with Li Xuanxuan and Li Xuanfeng.
Xu Gongming had repeatedly thanked the messenger and sent him back. While grateful, he also felt a wave of melancholy, as this signified another step in the fading bond between the Xu Family and the main family. He had hastily arranged for the funeral and rushed to take up his post in the towns of Huaqian.
Upon arrival, he first visited the main family's local representative. Xu Gongming then hurried to a small courtyard in the town to meet with Tian Zhongqing, the representative of the Tian Family's interests in the towns of Huaqian.
Dismounting from his horse, a servant promptly came forward to take the reins. Xu Gongming knocked gently on the door and told the approaching servant, "Please inform your master that his old friend, Xu Gongming, has come to visit."
The Xu and Tian families were both venerable families of Lijing Town, living close to each other, with Xu Gongming and Tian Zhongqing having played together as children. Although they had been apart for many years and barely recognized each other at first, they had seen each other a few years ago and had worked together since, establishing a good relationship.
The door creaked open, and a handsome young man with a sword strapped to his waist stepped forward. "It has been months since we last saw each other, Gongming!" he exclaimed gleefully.
Xu Gongming laughed heartily and entered the courtyard politely. Tian Zhongqing then closed the gate and had a servant bring tea as they exchanged pleasantries. Xu Gongming, seizing the moment, congratulated him, "Congratulations, Brother Zhongqing! It seems the second Qi Cultivator outside the main family is likely to be from your family!"
Tian Zhongqing laughed heartily as he heard this. A peak Embryonic Breathing Realm cultivator from the Tian Family had recently ascended Mount Lijing to receive a medicinal pill from the main family before going into seclusion on Mount Huaqian.
Aware that Xu Gongming was congratulating him on this, he replied, "This is all thanks to the main family's generosity, and we are immensely grateful... Any congratulations should really go to the main family!"
Then, with a serious tone, he continued, "My clan uncle is already over fifty, and he was identified from older peasants for his excellent root bones. It is a pity he started his cultivation too late, missing the best opportunity... Now, he can only strive for the Qi Cultivation Realm. If he succeeds, then that's wonderful; if not, he can only end up as an unrefined Qi Cultivator."
Xu Gongming nodded slightly. After Li Qiuyang's breakthrough had failed, the Li Family recently announced new rules that made the public aware of the difference between pure qi and unrefined qi cultivation. He first congratulated Tian Zhongqing a few more times and offered a few auspicious words.
Tian Zhongqing responded to each one politely before asking in a low voice, "Brother Gongming, has your family instructed you on this visit?"
Xu Gongming shook his head and replied quietly, "How could there be any instructions? I am merely appointed to Huaqian towns. After all, there are now more cultivators in Lijing Town, and the spiritual qi is not as abundant as before... Cultivation has become less favorable. Those old guys who have no hope for the Qi Cultivation Realm and just idle around do not care, but I cannot afford to waste my time there."
Xu Gongming took his tea and sipped it before continuing, "A few months ago, my father passed away. He still had ties with the mountain, so when people came down to mourn, I mentioned my situation and seized the opportunity to get out of there."
"I see," Tian Zhongqing nodded, his eyebrows lifting as he cupped his fist and added, "Please accept my condolences, brother."
"It's all right." Xu Gongming waved his hand, his face clouding over with a hint of bitterness as he replied, "The legacy of my ancestors has been exhausted. I am now the only cultivator in the Xu Family. If I fail to achieve the Qi Cultivation Realm, I fear our family will decline to the level of ordinary peasants..."
Tian Zhongqing paused slightly, taken aback. His own family, under the governance of the Li Family, was at the height of its power and had never faced such worries. He sighed in sympathy and responded, "Brother Gongming, your talents are exceptional! Qi Cultivation Realm should surely be within your reach."
Mentioning his talent only added to the irony for Xu Gongming. He laughed bitterly and said in a low voice, "Brother Zhongqing, you may have become slightly out of touch after staying in Huaqian for such a long time. If you knew about the situation in the main family, you would not perceive me as an exceptional talent!"
"What do you mean by that?" Tian Zhongqing asked as he was momentarily stunned, compelled to ask further.
Xu Gongming raised an eyebrow before setting down his cup. With a wry smile, he teased, "Why not try guessing what cultivation realm those two from the main family have reached now?"
"Those two?" Tian Zhongqing repeated as he pondered briefly, realizing Xu Gongming was referring to Li Yuanjiao and Li Qinghong. He smiled and guessed, "I am not sure about the other, but having seen Master Yuanjiao's pace, could it be the fourth stage of the Embryonic Breathing Realm..?"
"The fourth stage?" Xu Gongming let out a cold laugh and replied, "They have both condensed the Jade Capital Chakra, achieving the fifth stage of the Embryonic Breathing Realm!"
"What?!" Tian Zhongqing exclaimed, suddenly tasting a bitterness in his mouth. He knew that among the Tian Family, he was considered the most talented, yet he was only at the fourth stage of Embryonic Breathing Realm. Meanwhile, Li Qinghong and Li Yuanjiao, only seventeen or eighteen years old, had already reached the fifth stage. He exclaimed in resignation, "I have truly wasted more than a decade!"
Xu Gongming sighed too, and both fell silent, leaving only the sounds of the autumn wind and raindrops in the courtyard. Xu Gongming took two large sips of tea before saying, "Is the bloodline of a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator really that noble? To have three generations all achieving the Qi Cultivation Realm... it is truly enviable."
"Qi Cultivation Realm?"
At this, Tian Zhongqing let out a cold laugh, interrupting him and saying quietly, "Our ancestor has not emerged from seclusion for many years... Who knows, he may have already combined all six chakras and broken through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, reforming our family into a clan!"
Xu Gongming was startled and calmed down to think carefully, realizing that this indeed could be possible, but he was not fully convinced. He simply responded, "It has only been three or four years... Foundation Establishment Realm is a life-and-death trial. Our ancestor is most likely still in seclusion for a breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Realm, currently at a critical juncture. Whether he succeeds or not is still unknown."
As the topic met such an abrupt turn, both men simultaneously fell silent, using the excuse to drink tea in an effort to mask their discomfort and fear.
After more than a dozen breaths, Tian Zhongqing managed to compose himself and expressed his doubts, "Their speed of cultivation is truly astonishing... The Yu and Fei families are also Foundation Establishment Realm families, but I have heard that from the Yu Family, only the prodigy Yu Muxian stands out. Excluding the disciples from the immortal sect, both Yu Mujian and Yu Mugao were approaching thirty when they entered the Qi Cultivation Realm..."
The Tian Family had produced three generations of individuals with spiritual orifices, and they collected extensive information from both the mountains and below.
Tian Zhongqing's remarks indeed broadened Xu Gongming's horizons. He nodded repeatedly and replied, "Starting cultivation at seven years old, and by seventeen, it has only been ten years of cultivation. To condense a chakra every two years...". His voice trailed off.
The two exchanged glances, and Tian Zhongqing spoke in a low voice, "I have also been to Mount Lijing, and its spirit veins are not even as good as those of Mount Huaqian. The gap between stages of the Embryonic Breathing Realm should not be so large!"
Tian Zhongqing paused, then stretched out his left hand, his eyes growing brighter as he pressed down one finger at a time, speaking gravely.
"Talent... Medicinal pills... Spiritual qi..."
Both were momentarily stunned. Xu Gongming opened his mouth, then lowered his head. Meanwhile, Tian Zhongqing also slowly began to realize something.
In unison, they exclaimed, "Cultivation techniques!"