Azure Pond Sect, Qingsui Peak.
The small pavilion at the mountaintop had changed owners several times but still stood quietly in the snow. As the golden sun rose, radiant beams scattered all around, and a young man in a green robe sat cross-legged inside the small building, quietly absorbing the energy.
Time flew by, and Li Xizhi had been cultivating under Yuan Tuan's guidance for over a year now. The spiritual qi on Qingsui Peak was dense. He had just broken through the third stage of Embryonic Breathing Realm before coming to Azure Pond, and now he was ready to break through the fourth stage.
Creak.
Yuan Tuan appeared to have just returned to the mountain. Her clothes were neat, with tightly bound cuffs. Glancing into the pavilion, she saw Li Xizhi silently cultivating as usual and nodded approvingly.
“Xizhi is truly obedient...”
This year, Yuan Tuan had taken in another disciple, sent by the Yuan Family. Although Yuan Tuan harbored some resentment toward the Yuan Family, she still accepted the child. However, the child was unruly and unlikely to achieve greatness.
The sharp sword hung quietly on the wall was the very one used by Li Chejing back in the day. Yuan Tuan's gaze lingered on it for a moment. Li Xizhi finally awakened from his meditation, stood up hurriedly, and respectfully greeted her.
“Master! You are back!”
Yuan Tuan nodded in acknowledgement and asked, “How is your swordsmanship?”
“The sword aura has formed, but I am still far from achieving sword qi...” Li Xizhi replied with some frustration, looking quite pressured as he continued, “There are always people in the sect who come to challenge me. If it were not for the fact that you were out and locked the mountain gate, I would have been in trouble.”
Yuan Tuan smiled slightly at this.
“The Xiao Family was attacked. I went back to Mushroom Forest Plain a few days ago to settle a few things and feel a bit more at ease now. It's still chaotic out there and devil cultivators are rampant. Staying outside for too long is not wise.”
Back in the day, Yuan Tuan had managed to maintain her position on Qingsui Peak alone, carving out a path for herself and breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm all alone. Her sensitivity to the situation and observational skills were naturally extremely sharp, so she had returned quickly.
Since his mother, Xiao Guiluan, was from the Xiao Family, they could be considered his maternal family. Li Xizhi was naturally very concerned and asked eagerly, “How is the Xiao Family?”
“They are fine,” Yuan Tuan replied briefly, taking down the sword from the wall and playing with it.
The sword gleamed coldly but moved obediently in her hand. She continued, “Daoist Master Chuting underestimated the killing intent of the three sects and seven gates toward the Chen Family. He was trapped in the Eastern Sea by a scheme from Tianyuan of the Golden Feather Sect and could not return to aid. The Xiao Family suffered a moderate loss."
"The Xiao Family is a shield for our Azure Pond Sect... Daoist Master Chuting's Man On Creek is very crucial, so they dare not act rashly. This elaborate effort was merely to kill Chen Taojing," she added.
Yuan Tuan's words were startling. Li Xizhi silently took note of this, wanting to say something, but Yuan Tuan changed the subject and smiled.
“Your Li Family should be fine. I was near Cloud Crowned Peak at that time and used Azure Crest Manifestation to pray for your family members—probably your uncles and granduncles—three times, which should at least protect their lives.”
Li Xizhi was overjoyed and repeatedly expressed his gratitude.
“Thank you, Master!”
“No need to be so formal.”
Yuan Tuan's lips curled into a smile as she continued, “This is just a Dao foundation, not a divine ability. At most, it offers some small assistance and cannot be considered a significant help.”
Li Xizhi obediently said some words of praise, and Yuan Tuan seemed to be in a very good mood, enjoying the flattery. Suddenly, she asked, “Is Li Tongya no longer around?”
Li Xizhi, still overjoyed, was caught off guard by the question, and his body stiffened. He responded almost immediately, “I have not heard...”
His reaction was swift, but his body could not lie. Yuan Tuan knew immediately, staring straight at him and sighing.
“What a pity.”
Li Xizhi silently lowered his head, trying to suppress his unease. He was just a boy of fourteen or fifteen and could not deceive Yuan Tuan. Realizing this, Yuan Tuan mourned for two breaths before saying, “If Li Tongya is not dead and joined forces with Chen Taojing, they might still be able to protect Cloud Crowned Peak... From now on, more and more flaws will be revealed. I hope your father can cover his death for a few more years.”
Seeing Li Xizhi's somewhat downcast appearance, Yuan Tuan comforted him, "Do not worry. I have heard that your granduncle, Li Xuanfeng, has already taken a leave of absence at Yi Mountain City and is in seclusion to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm. Once he succeeds, he will be a great help."
When Yuan Tuan mentioned this, Li Xizhi had some questions that had been on his mind for a long time. Seizing the opportunity, he asked earnestly, "Master! Is there any precedent for recalling external cultivators from Yi Mountain City? If there is, how can they be recalled?"
Yuan Tuan paused slightly, showing a thoughtful expression, and replied in a low voice, "The sect has summoned cultivators before. If they are direct disciples of the sect, they usually return after a dozen years. Recruited family cultivators generally do not last more than a few years... There are precedents for releasing them, typically between fifty to sixty years, and if someone within the sect speaks on their behalf, they might be released sooner."
Li Xizhi nodded thoughtfully. Yuan Tuan pondered for a few moments, swallowing some unspoken words, then quickly changed the subject. Calculating the time, she then asked softly, "Have you decided which qi to gather for your Qi Cultivation Realm?"
Li Xizhi remained silent for a long time, his mind racing with thoughts, his heart pounding. Finally, he smiled calmly and said, "I will cultivate whichever technique has the most cultivators in the sect."
"Oh? Why is that?" Yuan Tuan asked as she looked at him deeply.
Li Xizhi replied, "With more people cultivating it, the path might be smoother."
Creak...
Before Yuan Tuan could respond, they heard a creak—the sound of the outer courtyard gate slowly opening. Both their expressions changed. Li Xizhi frowned, while Yuan Tuan's face filled with shock.
Li Xizhi, having not yet developed a spiritual sense, assumed it was a junior disciple from the Yuan Family visiting. However, Yuan Tuan's Foundation Establishment Realm spiritual sense swept over their surroundings and discovered that there was no one in the snow-covered courtyard!
"How is this possible?!"
Yuan Tuan's heart shook. There could only be one type of person who could completely escape her detection and move freely on Qingsui Peak, as if walking in their own backyard...
A Purple Mansion Realm Daoist Master?!
Yuan Tuan's face changed, her shock overwhelming her like a tidal wave, momentarily causing her entire body's mana to stall. Her mind raced with thoughts.
Their expressions varied, and the footsteps outside moved like the wind. In a few strides, the person reached the front of the pavilion, casually removing their shoes and stepping inside.
Swish...
The bamboo curtain of the pavilion was suddenly lifted, and a handsome cultivator walked in, with a jade ornament hanging from his waist. Despite the smile on his face, his eyes were cold, staring directly at Li Xizhi.
Yuan Tuan, the peak master who had locked the peak and set up a formation to isolate the inside from the outside, was shocked to see the Daoist quietly enter the room. Li Xizhi was terrified and was just about to voice a question when he realized he was completely paralyzed, unable to move.
The scene before him dimmed, and Li Xizhi's gaze stiffened as he saw the horrified expression on his master's face. Alarm bells rang in his mind. In his remaining consciousness, he saw Yuan Tuan's red lips moving, forming the words Buzi .
Buzi?