Li Yuanping leaned over to read the manual, initially joyful until he noticed a small note in ink at the end. Their expressions suddenly changed. Li Yuanjiao narrowed his eyes as he said, "Recorded by Cui Mu from Zhaoyuan Immortal Mansion from Wei State of Central Plain? This is a legacy from Zhaoyuan Immortal Mansion from Wei State of Central Plain?!"
"Wei State?" Li Yuanping echoed, puzzled.
"I've heard of the northern powers like Yan State and Zhao State, but I've never heard of Wei State... let alone this Zhaoyuan Immortal Mansion. There's actually an immortal sect in the north..?"
Li Yuanjiao carefully placed the wooden slip on the desk. His heart was racing as he murmured, "Maybe this Wei State is an ancient territory from centuries past... That would explain why we've never heard of it. Seven hundred years ago when Buddhism was still confined to Mobei, Daoist sects dominated the Central Plain. There were reportedly over 172 states, Wei could have been one of them. If that's true, then it makes sense for immortal sects to exist in the Wei State..."
Li Yuanjiao had gotten this information from Xiao Guiluan. After all, the Xiao Family was an ancient immortal family with ancestors who hailed from the north. Naturally, they were more knowledgeable about the history of the north; in fact, they even had a few northern Dao techniques in their possession.
However, Xiao Guiluan was a concubine-born daughter of the direct lineage, with a status akin to those in the major sect of the Li Family. Now that she had been married into the Li Family, it was even more challenging for her to obtain such information.
Li Yuanjiao could barely contain his excitement while Li Yuanping was slightly taken aback by the revelation. He quickly connected the dots and said in a serious tone, "So... you mean to say that techniques similar to this nature might have already been lost? Doesn't that mean..."
Before Li Yuanping could finish his sentence by saying "Doesn't that mean we'll have a smooth ride ahead", he was interrupted by Li Yuanjiao's sigh.
"Let's not rush to conclusions. We should verify if there's indeed still an immortal sect active up in the north..." Li Yuanjiao said firmly.
Listening intently from the side, Li Xizhi's eyes flickered with curiosity. He hurriedly interjected, "The younger brothers have just begun their cultivation journey, and they will take at least ten years to reach the Qi Cultivation Realm... After I join the Azure Pond Sect, I can investigate Wei State and the Zhaoyuan Immortal Mansion on behalf of our family."
"Very well!" Li Yuanjiao praised, looking more at ease now. For years, the weight of Li Tongya's passing had burdened him, fearing he might fall short of his expectations. Now with a clear direction, he felt uplifted.
"It's a shame Uncle Xian is from a branch of the Xiao Family. Otherwise, Auntie could help us inquire more..." Li Xizhi remarked absentmindedly, his excitement evident as he glanced at the tiny script on the wooden slip.
However, Li Yuanjiao's expression turned stern as he interrupted sharply, "Zhi'er!"
Li Xizhi raised his head in surprise, noticing the fading smile on Li Yuanping's face as he gently explained, "Since your aunt has married into the Xiao Family, she is now one of them. Asking her to do something like that would put her in a difficult position!"
Li Xizhi, who had spent his childhood playing in the mountains, was extremely close to Li Qingxiao. Li Yuanping's words had taken him by surprise.
"I've been thoughtless," he admitted.
Li Yuanjiao looked at him, then sighed.
"Our family does not match theirs in status at present, having been a clan for just three generations. No matter how close we are as a family, we must tread carefully. We cannot impose undue burdens and end up souring familial ties..."
"I understand," Li Xizhi responded, cupping his fist respectfully. Li Xijun listened attentively to their conversation, his handsome face betraying a pensive expression.
Meanwhile, Li Yuanjiao collected the wooden slips and glanced at Li Ximing, who was still scribbling furiously with sweat beading his forehead.
Li Yuanjiao was amused by such a sight and failed to suppress a chuckle. He walked up to the boy and asked warmly, "Why haven't you completed your writing yet?"
Li Ximing, looking slightly flustered, gestured to the stack of meticulously written wooden slips. He carefully dipped his brush into ink and replied, "Everyone else's entries are so short, but mine turned out so long-winded!"
His complaint drew chuckles from Li Xijun and Li Xizhi. Li Yuanjiao peered closer and saw the title on the slip— Introduction to Alchemy .
"Alchemy?!"
Li Yuanping and Li Yuanjiao exchanged surprised glances.
"How rare! This is the first time I've seen someone being bestowed an alchemy manual among the hundred arts of Immortal Cultivation..." Li Yuanping remarked.
As soon as he finished speaking those words, realization dawned on them. They simultaneously placed their hands on Li Ximing's body—one on his Qihai acupoint, the other on his throat.
"This is..."
The Li Family had never produced a skilled alchemist. After assessing Li Ximing for a moment, the two brothers had their suspicions.
Eventually, Li Yuanjiao chuckled and decided, "You can begin practicing with the manual. We'll send someone to the Xiao Family to invite Senior Yuansi over!"
————
Meanwhile in Yi Mountain City at the southern border...
A middle-aged man clad in leather armor stood silently atop the city wall, the biting cold wind whipping fiercely around him. His sharp eyebrows furrowed as he gazed down at the demon beasts gathering below him. His gray-black eyes, tired yet steady, betrayed no emotion.
He raised the golden longbow in his hands, taking a deep breath before a radiant golden light condensed between his hands, swirling and forming a golden-white arrow.
"Take this!"
Golden-white brilliance gleamed in his eyes as the arrow streaked through the sky like a falling star, slicing through the air and leaving a trail of dazzling light in its wake.
Whoosh!
A massive eagle, as large as a house and soaring in the sky, emitted a cry so piercing that it could crack gold and shatter stone. It flapped its wings desperately, attempting to ascend, but it was too late to evade.
Its shrill cry was abruptly silenced.
Watching the eagle plummet into the distant mountain forest, Li Xuanfeng lowered his bow and straightened up. The glint in his eyes dimmed once more as he turned back toward the city, retrieving a wineskin from his chest pocket and taking a small sip.
"Brother Feng... Your archery skills have improved yet again," Fei Yihe remarked. He was dressed in white as usual as he sat down beside him with his spear.
"That demon beast was at the seventh heavenly layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm, yet you shot it down with just one arrow... You're probably not far from reaching the Foundation Establishment Realm, right?" he asked in a hushed tone.
"Yes."
Li Xuanfeng nodded and leaned his longbow against the wall, its weight creating a loud thud that startled the surrounding crowd.
"I've reached the peak of Qi Cultivation Realm, and I am ready to pick a day to enter seclusion for the breakthrough," he announced, causing murmurs of approval and well-wishes from those who were gathered around.
Li Xuanfeng acknowledged them with a wave of his hand.
Fei Yihe smiled wryly and remarked, "Brother Feng, your talent is truly exceptional. If you were still on the lake, Yu Mugao and Yu Xiaogui would surely be troubled by your presence! It's a shame we're stuck in this hellhole, watching the Azure Pond Sect play games with the Demon King day in and day out..."
"If we win, the demons we killed belong to the Azure Pond Sect. If we lose, we become the demon's food and nourishment. We started with fifty-six defenders on these walls; now, we're down to just fifteen. Gambling for too long is bound to lead to losses," he continued.
Li Xuanfeng chuckled in response.
"You seem to fear death less and less now, to speak so openly and frankly about this."
Fei Yihe sighed wearily and said, "All of us are going to die sooner or later anyway. The Azure Pond Sect doesn't care what we think."
Li Xuanfeng gazed into the distance as he took another sip of wine thoughtfully.
"I heard that the Azure Pond Sect is gathering a group of formation masters to repair Yi Mountain City's formations?" he asked.
"Yes."
At the mention of this, the group of people was filled with joy and anticipation. Fei Yihe laughed out loud and continued, "It's been ten years since we've been isolated from the outside world... Finally, someone is coming! I wonder how much the outside world has changed over these years!"