Mount Yuting was the most treacherous and steepest of the Li Family's mountains, and it reached into the clouds.
The courtyard atop the mountain, while not huge, housed a jade well that was as large as a pond. Despite looking like an ancient well, the water in it was crystal clear, shimmering with a mystical light.
Li Qinghong exhaled a puff of white breath, her almond eyes glowing dimly purple. With a forceful push of her palms, she unleashed a torrent of thunderous mana, her red lips parting in astonishment.
" The Purple Thunder Secret Origin Technique —is it truly a secret technique modified by the descendants of its original creator...?"
She had devoted six years to mastering this technique and had studied numerous other Qi Cultivation methods. Yet, the Purple Thunder Secret Origin Technique's ancient simplicity and uniqueness set it apart from the rest, containing elements unheard of in other methods which often amazed Li Qinghong.
Dreaming of the day she would master the Profound Thunderpool and wield its profound power, she dispersed the spell in her hand with a wave and glanced around the courtyard before softly calling out.
"Li Xicheng!"
Footsteps came from behind the house as a twelve-year-old boy with straight eyebrows and a sweaty forehead rushed into view, stopping right in front of Li Qinghong with a smile.
"Auntie!"
The boy, Li Xicheng, was the son of Li Yuanyun and the oldest among the generation of Xi and Yue.
His father lacked a spiritual orifice and did not cultivate, hence he was the first to father a child among his generation. Li Xicheng, already thirteen, possessed a spiritual orifice. Unfortunately, his innate talent was influenced by his father's lineage and could only be considered average.
With Li Yuanyun away at the market and Li Xicheng in need of supervision, Li Qinghong, his paternal aunt and Li Yuanyun's elder sister, was naturally the best choice. Thus, Li Xicheng had been sent to train on Mount Yuting with her.
"Time for spear practice."
Li Qinghong handed a wooden spear to Li Xicheng, instructing the boy to hold it horizontally in his grasp. He stood alone, maintaining his stance as she observed him with a keen gaze.
"Are you practicing the Supreme Langyang Meridian Nourishment Technique ?" she asked.
"Yes, Auntie!"
Li Qinghong nodded, her expression unreadable. The Supreme Langyang Meridian Nourishment Technique was a Grade Three technique, acquired by Li Tongya for those in the direct lineage.
As one of the recipients of the talisman seed in the family, she practiced the Supreme Yin Breathing Meridian Nourishment Sutra, which had to be kept a secret.
Xicheng, Xizhi, Ximing... I wonder who among them will receive the favor of the mirror...?
Brother Jiao plans to recommend Xizhi to the immortal sect, so he likely won't be a candidate... That means it'll be either Ximing or Xicheng...
While Li Qinghong was lost in thought, Li Xicheng gritted his teeth in silent determination. Sweat drenched his body as he held the spear up shakily.
Li Qinghong straightened his arms and was about to offer guidance when a voice thundered from beyond the compound.
"Rogue cultivator Ning Heyuan has come to pay his respects. I would like to meet the mountain master of the Li Family!"
Startled by the sudden voice, Li Xicheng dropped his spear with a clatter. He wiped the sweat beading his brow while casting a nervous glance at his aunt.
Li Qinghong glanced toward the source of the voice. Outside, a young man in green attire stood outside the formation, his waist adorned with a storage pouch and a dharma sword that glowed with mana light.
His clothes seemed to be woven from spirit yarn, his accessories lavish with top-quality jade—a display of extravagant luxury.
A rogue cultivator? Don't make me laugh!
With a scoff, Li Qinghong flew out of the formation to confront Ning Heyuan, who continued boldly, "I've long admired the renowned Li Family, known to be the master of swordsmanship. I've traveled far to challenge my peers in your family with my sword, seeking to validate my skills in swordsmanship..."
He was interrupted as a woman in a white dress emerged from the grand formation. Her presence was commanding, her eyes electrifying. She pursed her vermillion lips, fixing her intense gaze directly on him.
"A female cultivator?!"
Expecting to see a young swordsman, Ning Heyuan was taken aback, his embarrassment evident.
Li Qinghong sneered coldly, drawing her spear and slicing it through the air. Her movements were accompanied by a surge of purple thunder that crackled ominously.
Ning Heyuan had barely managed to draw his sword in defense.
"W-Wait...! Ancient technique...?! Hey, Lady!"
Before he could finish his sentence, Li Qinghong's spear crashed down, emitting a loud thunderclap. Ning Heyuan was thrown back by its sheer force.
However, Ning Heyuan was no mere novice. After the initial surprise, he swiftly recovered and employed his own technique as rain clouds appeared around his body, floating in the air. The strong sword qi emanated from his longsword, effectively blocking Li Qinghong's assault.
"Nice technique, Ning," Li Qinghong remarked, noting the mana glow around him and deducing his cultivation at the fourth heavenly layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm. His technique was clearly from a major sect and of a notably high grade.
Internally, she speculated, Azure Pond Sect...?
At that moment, still grappling with the loss of her father, Li Qinghong felt an overwhelming surge of emotion within her body. She channeled this intense grief into her strength, causing true essence to pour forth even more powerfully from her Qihai acupoint.
As she executed her Vast Sky Sparrow technique, she moved with increased speed and attack power.
Having only just blocked Li Qinghong's attack, Ning Heyuan did not expect her to continue her assaults even more relentlessly. As they fought, thunder roared and flashes of lightning illuminated the sky, flickering between brightness and darkness.
Facing a cultivator skilled with thunder technique for the first time, Ning Heyuan felt a numbing sensation creeping over his palms. Despite this, he managed a wry smile.
"Isn't the Li Family a Sword Immortal Clan...? Why are you using a thunder technique? This technique is bizarre, capable of conjuring phenomena when employed. It doesn't even look like a Qi Cultivation technique... It can easily pass off as a Foundation Establishment Ream technique!"
As the battle continued, Li Qinghong fought with even greater intensity. Her eyes were an electrifying purple by now.
Ning Heyuan found himself pushed back repeatedly, forced to defend against her spear. In desperation, his longsword burst into radiant light, splitting into two rainbow beams aimed directly at Li Qinghong's face.
Li Qinghong's spear danced so fast that its afterimages seemed to resemble several purple flowers floating in the air before colliding with rainbow lights. She freed one of her hands, sketching a thunder talisman in the air precisely before channeling dark, purple thunder true essence into it.
"HA!" she shouted.
This spell was recorded in the Purple Thunder Secret Origin Technique , written by a predecessor but was never given a grade, and Li Qinghong had practiced it for many years. Upon invocation, the talisman surged like a rising sun before crashing down toward Ning Heyuan.
"Fine!"
When Ning Heyuan saw Li Qinghong unleash her spell, he also quickly performed a series of hand seals with his single free hand, releasing a bright, clear mana that collided with the talisman.
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion resounded through the clear sky as purple electricity and flames erupted. Smoke billowed and mana scattered in all directions, surging toward Ning Heyuan's face.
He cursed under his breath, hastily performing another series of hand seals to summon a bright light.
Like a misty rain, the spell flew toward Li Qinghong, who attempted to block it with her spear. The dazzling lightning and sharp aura of her spear were repelled several zhang away as fire and smoke finally settled into silence.
Li Qinghong stumbled a dozen steps back as the spear in her hand cracked under the strain and its mana light dimmed.
"That's a good spell!" she exclaimed, her gaze fixed on the mana light in Ning Heyuan's hand. She recognized it instantly as a legacy from the main peaks of the Azure Pond Sect, likely a Grade Four or Grade Five spell.
Only the spells circulating within the three sects and seven gates could truly be considered real spells, guarded closely and never shared beyond their circles.
In contrast, the spells known among rogue cultivators and various prominent clans were mere child's play, typically subpar and rated merely as Grade One or Two.
The mana light flickered in Ning Heyuan's hand. He cursed softly and waved his hand to disperse the spell.
"Your spearmanship and thunder technique are impressive, my lady. I was forced to use the Heavenly Serpent Celestial Light spell... It seems I have overdone it."
Li Qinghong, harboring no fondness for those with the surnames Ning or Chi in the Azure Pond Sect, simply registered the spell's name in her mind.
She nodded coldly as she replied, "Please leave. I apologize for not seeing you off."
Ning Heyuan was taken aback by her coldness. He opened his mouth to speak, only to find his emotions caught in his throat as he watched Li Qinghong prepare to retreat back up the mountain.
"Can you at least tell me your name, fairy?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.
Li Qinghong paused briefly and ultimately chose to answer his question.
"Li Qinghong from the Li Family of Lijing."