Liu Changdie was feeling quite pleased with himself as the grand formation was nearly complete. He could already sense the subtle connections of spiritual energy forming within the formation and thought to himself, This formation is almost ready. With the help of the Li Family, once I master the Spirit Eye Perception, I can head north. The Xu State is in chaos right now, and going there might provide me with some opportunities.
As he was contemplating, he saw someone land nearby with a golden bow on their back and a jade slip in his hand. The man said with a smile, "Brother Changdie, I have brought you the Spirit Eye Perception!"
Liu Changdie was overjoyed and expressed his thanks repeatedly. He stepped forward, but noticed that Li Xuanfeng looked somewhat regretful as he continued explaining, "Unfortunately, the ancestor is in seclusion, and I could not find him. We have never had a guest elder in the family before, so I cannot make that decision without consulting him first."
"I see..."
Liu Changdie understood that Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators often secluded themselves for years, but he could not understand why Li Xuanfeng still brought the Spirit Eye Perception to him.
Feeling both disappointed and puzzled, he looked at the jade slip and asked, "And this is..."
"Oh," Li Xuanfeng seemed to realize something and raised his head, saying, "No one knows when the ancestor will emerge from his seclusion. I can't keep you waiting until then, so I brought you the Spirit Eye Perception jade slip to practice for now."
"How could I possibly accept this?!" Liu Changdie exclaimed, feeling both touched and uneasy.
However, before he could refuse, Li Xuanfeng grabbed his hand and placed the jade slip in it forcefully.
"Brother Changdie, you have worked tirelessly on our formation. How could I possibly delay giving this to you? This matter is settled, go ahead and practice!" he said with a hearty laugh.
Li Xuanfeng's words were firm, and he had, after all, handed over the jade slip forcefully. Liu Changdie, naturally cautious, instinctively wanted to withdraw but found that Li Xuanfeng's grip was like an iron vise. He could not pull away until Li Xuanfeng finally released his hand.
Liu Changdie was greatly shocked by his strength, thinking to himself, I used my mana unconsciously, yet I couldn't break free. It is no wonder that in my previous life, everyone in the city feared Li Xuanfeng. His strength is truly terrifying! In my previous life, Li Yuanjiao once said, 'Li Xuanfeng likes to kill demons with arrows. One demon general thought he couldn't fight in close combat and switched to attack him at close range, but Li Xuanfeng had merely laughed and grabbed it with his bare hands, killing it with two strikes!' I guess Li Yuanjiao wasn't exaggerating!
Li Xuanfeng noticed Liu Changdie's fear and quickly apologized, though there was a grin on his face.
"I have had great strength since childhood, and it seems I have startled you. My apologies!"
Li Xuanfeng's extraordinary strength was due to talisman qi, but of course, he was not going to say that to Liu Changdie. Seeing Liu Changdie repeatedly say "It is fine," Li Xuanfeng added, "Once you have taken the Profound Scenery Spiritual Oath, you can start practicing."
"Of course... Thank you," Liu Changdie said gratefully.
After Liu Changdie had taken the Profound Scenery Spiritual Oath, Li Xuanfeng handed over the jade slip and continued, "This perception technique is difficult to master. No one in our family has succeeded in practicing it so far, so please do read the content carefully."
Liu Changdie, full of joy, accepted the jade slip eagerly.
"No problem... no problem at all!"
Li Xuanfeng had also practiced this perception technique. Lacking a crucial heavenly material called Pure Essence Spirit Water made it exceedingly difficult to master. Seeing Liu Changdie's confident demeanor, his thoughts stirred, thinking to himself, The ancestor said that this man is shrouded in mystery and harbors many secrets... Perhaps he also knows the source of the Pure Essence Spirit Water. I must remain vigilant!
He cupped his fist and said, "Brother Changdie, if you discover any insights during your practice of this perception technique, please share them with my family. You will be generously rewarded!"
"Of course! Of course!" Liu Changdie agreed readily. Li Xuanfeng wasn't sure if he had thoroughly examined the content but could only cup his fist in return and left on the wind.
————
Within a month, the grand formation on Mount Huaqian was completed. Liu Changdie managed to restore seventy percent of the original power of the Earth-Locked Huaqian Formation set up by Wan Huaqian. It was more than enough to fend off late-stage Qi Cultivators. It also drew power from the spirit spring within the Mount Huaqian cave dwelling which circulated endlessly. This made it particularly effective against groups of low-level Qi Cultivators and could even hold off a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator for the duration it took to burn a stick of incense. Li Xuanfeng was very pleased with this.
With this matter settled, Liu Changdie eagerly went to Mount Huazhong to modify the formation plate. Li Yuanjiao saw off the formation master with mixed feelings of both amusement and relief.
"That man is overly enthusiastic, always dragging me into long conversations! Although he means well, it makes me very uneasy..." Li Yuanjiao complained. He was clad in black and was seated casually on the high seat, sipping spirit wine and exhaling warm air.
Hearing this, Li Qinghong, who was smiling brightly, blinked playfully. Her voice, light and pleasant, teased, "I rarely visit Mount Huaqian, and Brother Jiao has me listen to complaints. Maybe this person isn't the one making you uneasy. Now that I think about it, your big day is drawing near. It's quite amusing to see you so restless!"
Li Yuanjiao gave an embarrassed smile, realizing how easily Li Qinghong had seen through him. He stammered, "I wonder what kind of woman she is..."
Li Qinghong giggled, holding her wine cup to her red lips but not drinking. She mimicked a middle-aged man's voice, sounding gruff and hearty as she said, "In that case, we do have a direct concubine-born daughter named Xiao Guiluan—who is excellent in character and appearance. She is surely a perfect match for Yuanjiao!"
Li Yuanjiao glared at her and, seeing her laughing to herself, said irritably, "You seem to enjoy this! Do you know how tormented I feel?!"
Li Qinghong's expression turned serious but she was still smiling softly. "I heard that Xiao Guiluan has already reached the fourth stage of the Embryonic Breathing Realm... She is definitely very talented. Since they say her character and appearance are exceptional, what is there to worry about? You can't possibly ask for more when your wife has already met all these three criteria!"
Li Yuanjiao sighed deeply and replied, "No cultivator could possibly look bad. Besides, even the most beautiful face will wither after a century. To me, appearance is the least valuable attribute—it's hardly worth mentioning."
Li Yuanjiao drank some wine and began to speak his mind. He raised one finger and continued, "As for talent, being too exceptional or too lacking creates divisions among people... Being evenly matched is the best."
Lowering his finger, Li Yuanjiao's face showed a trace of concern as he said, "What worries me most is character. Senior Xiao Yuansi is an honest person, but when he says someone has excellent character, who knows what that truly means..."
Li Qinghong nodded thoughtfully and asked carefully, "Are you worried that Xiao Guiluan might be too kind? Or perhaps too weak?"
Li Yuanjiao sneered and replied, "Whether kind or ruthless, if she cannot read people's expressions, understand situations, or tolerate human nature... possessing any one of these flaws could bring disaster."