Li Tongya’s heart skipped a beat, and a wave of dizziness washed over him.
He quickly turned his head, gazing down at the gently swaying, pale green Spirit Paddies in the field, and quietly said, “You should... focus on condensing the Profound Scenery Chakra first before thinking about anything else.”
With a mischievous smile, Liu Rouxuan leaned in close to Li Tongya’s face and whispered in his ear, “Then, Brother Tong Ya, don’t go running off with someone else, all right...?”
Li Tongya’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment as he rose abruptly and chided, “You better focus on cultivation!”
With that, he hurriedly left the courtyard and walked into the distance.
Strolling along the stone path for quite some distance, Li Tongya splashed his face with river water and gradually regained his composure.
Smiling wryly, he said, “It seems like I’ve fallen for her.”
Li Xiangping, sitting by the shore with a grin, teased Li Tongya, “So, Second Brother has truly fallen for Liu Rouxuan! Father’s plan has paid off!”
He continued, “Father’s decision to have you oversee Liu Rouxuan was a clever ruse. You saw it merely as a strategy to relocate in order to keep the Liu Family’s influence in check, yet you were blind to the deeper game he was playing with you, Li Tongya.”
“Stop teasing me, Third Brother!” Li Tongya responded with a wry smile, shaking his head in resignation before adding, “The more I observe father, the more I realize there’s so much to learn from the old man.”
“Indeed!” Li Xiangping nodded earnestly.
“Regarding the three Snake Essence Pills left by Xiao Yuansi, let’s use them to break through to the Jade Capital Chakra. Father and Yesheng have fed their blood to the Misty Maze Formation. I’ll take the mirror to the small courtyard on the mountain myself. As for mastering the Profound Water Sword Technique... I’m afraid that’s beyond me. You should take a closer look at it,” he continued with a serious tone.
Li Tongya scooped up a handful of river water, rinsing his hands as he replied, "With Chejing gone to the immortal sect for nearly three years now, and our first batch of Spirit Paddies about to mature, we can’t afford to rest in the coming days.”
————
This year, Lijing Village was blanketed in a heavier snowfall than in previous years.
The Spirit Paddies in the field have ripened, their light green panicles cradling grain clusters that resemble white jade, standing resiliently against the snow, refusing to bow their branches.
The Spirit Paddies were unlike ordinary grains, their blades as sharp as knives, demanding an axe for harvest. Li Tongya and the others had imbued the harvesting scythes with a Golden Light spell so that the Spirit Fields could be harvested swiftly.
Observing the small green stacks of gathered Spirit Paddies, Li Qiuyang stepped through the snow, clapping his hands with a laugh.
“Brother Xiangping, these Spirit Paddies look splendid.”
After Li Qiuyang succeeded in condensing the Profound Scenery Chakra last month, he took the Profound Scenery Spirit Oath in the Li Family’s ancestral hall and learned a few spells.
At the age of ten, the boy’s appearance has matured, hinting at the good-looking teen he would become.
A year ago, he had gathered enough spiritual power but failed in condensing the Profound Scenery Chakra. Because of this, he had to meditate for another year to recover his spiritual power, allowing Liu Rouxuan to catch up to him soon.
“Indeed,” Li Xiangping responded, smiling broadly. His mana flowed freely, having already condensed the Celestial Whirl Chakra.
Tian Yun recently delivered twins of different genders, much to the delight of the Li family. The birth of these children filled Li Xiangping with joy.
Old Master Li looked at the children, then named the boy Li Xuanfeng and the girl Li Jingtian according to the family’s naming tradition.
“The White Essence Fruit isn’t ripe yet, but we can take these harvested Spirit Paddies back first.”
The villagers behind them had already meticulously removed the leaves of the Spirit Paddies, each with careful precision using a reamer. The leaves of the Spirit Paddies were as sharp as knives, making the task arduous and challenging for them.
Only after securely binding the bundles with thick rope did they dare to carry them, two at a time.
As they reached the foot of Mount Lijing, a thin layer of mist began to form.
“Stay close! This formation might kill you if you stray off!” Li Yesheng warned the people behind him.
The villagers respond promptly, treading the stone path to the top of the mountain. After they deposited bundles of Spirit Paddies in the courtyard, Li Xiangping instructed, “Take them down.”
The panicles must be picked from the stem of the Spirit Paddies with mana and then processed with a specific spell to remove the husks of the Spirit Rice. This was all necessary to preserve the spiritual qi of the Spirit Rice.
Mortals could only assist in the harvesting with the scythes imbued with Golden Light spells and transporting the Spirit Paddies.
The crucial aspects of the harvest were still reserved for the hands of immortal cultivators.
“Third Uncle! Clan brother!”
Li Xuanxuan emerged from the courtyard, cupping his fist to Li Qiuyang and Li Xiangping respectfully.
Now over seven years old, he was growing steadily, bearing a striking resemblance to the late Li Changhu.
As Li Xuanxuan approached Li Qiuyang, Li Xiangping’s expression shifted. He quickly beckoned the boy over, “Xuanxuan, come here.”
Once Li Xuanxuan was seated beside him, Li Xiangping chuckled warmly and said, “This boy had his spiritual orifice measured a year ago, and he has made remarkable progress in cultivation. I believe it won’t be long before he condenses the Profound Scenery Chakra.”
Hearing this, Li Xuanxuan was puzzled.
Our family has never assessed my root bone or passed down any teachings. What does Third Uncle mean by this?
Despite his thought, he smiled and nodded at Li Qiuyang, who looked on with envy.
“How impressive, Xuan’er!” Li Qiuyang could not help but praise. Recalling that he had only managed to condense the Profound Scenery Chakra two years ago, he felt somewhat humbled.
After exchanging a few words, Li Xuanxuan excused himself as Li Tongya arrived at the mountain. The group then spent several hours harvesting the Spirit Paddies and removing the husks.
Li Mutian divided them up and packed them into sacks. He then weighed the yield and announced, “One hundred and twenty jin of Spirit Rice, forty jin of Spirit Rice Bran. This should suffice for the next two years’ tributes.”
After seeing Li Qiuyang off, Li Xiangping placed the two sacks of Spirit Rice and Spirit Rice Brans on the table and marveled at the grains. Seeing the Spirit Rice shining like white jade, he let out a sigh of admiration before carefully moving the sacks into the house.
He then turned to Li Tongya and said, “Xuanxuan is now seven and physically well-developed enough to begin his cultivation.”
Li Tongya was caught off guard. He nodded pensively and then followed Li Xiangping into the house.
Inside, a charcoal fire burned warmly. With Li Mutian already retired for the night, Li Xuanxuan sat alone by the stove, gazing out at the snowy Mount Lijing.
Upon seeing Li Xiangping and Li Tongya, Li Xuanxuan rose quickly, his expression one of concern:
“Third Uncle, why did you tell Clan Brother that I’m about to condense the Profound Scenery Chakra? Wouldn’t it be embarrassing if I ended up having no spiritual orifice?”
Li Xiangping carefully shut the doors and windows, then put his finger on his lips and hushed Li Xuanxuan.
“Follow me,” he said in a low voice.
Li Xuanxuan fell silent and obediently trailed behind Li Xiangping to a secluded brick house at the back of the courtyard.
Li Xiangping took out a key and then unlocked the door. He slowly pushed it open, and whispered to Li Xuanxuan, “Go in.”
The solemn expression on Li Xiangping’s face made Li Xuanxuan feel uneasy. The room was spacious, with only a bluestone platform at its center. Atop the platform sat a bluish-gray mirror.
The smell of burning incense filled the air, instilling a sense of tranquility. Li Xuanxuan glanced up at Li Xiangping.
Seeing that his third uncle was standing silently with his gaze fixed on the mirror, Li Xuanxuan remained silent.