Liu Changdie soared through the skies toward Mount Dali, fully propelled by the wind. However, a beam of light from the south intercepted his path before it could reach Mount Qingdu, forcing him to come to a sudden halt.
An Zheyan, who had been patrolling for some time, stopped Liu Changdie by the lake. "Who goes there?" he called out.
Although An Zheyan was a Qi Cultivator of the eighth heavenly layer and capable of handling most rogue cultivators, the aura of this person made him feel rather uneasy.
The man in question had an unassuming appearance but was at the peak of the Qi Cultivation Realm. Despite his youthful appearance, looking no older than thirty, his clothes were of fine quality. He cupped his fist, channeling his mana, and replied respectfully, "Liu Changdie has come to visit. Please..."
But before he could finish, a clear, melodious voice interrupted them.
"Daoist Changdie?"
Liu Changdie turned to see a striking figure—a heroic face with a pair of bright almond eyes, clad in jade armor and wielding a silver spear. He was momentarily stunned, then quickly cupped his fist again.
"Ah... it's you, Daoist Qinghong!"
As he lowered his head, he thought to himself, She is truly a beauty... I never had the chance to see her in my previous life. I only heard she had committed suicide on Mount Yuting. With such demeanor and appearance, it's no wonder she caught the eyes of the Lotus Temple's Master Monk.
Li Qinghong, familiar with the strange reputation of this visitor, was not at all surprised by his reaction. Smiling, she said, "Follow me into the mountain, fellow Daoist!"
An Zheyan allowed him to pass, cupping his fist before quietly retreating.
Liu Changdie followed her into the mountain. In the hall, two figures awaited—one old and frail, the other middle-aged but pale.
Li Yuanping was discussing clan affairs with his father, Li Xuanxuan, and greeted Liu Changdie warmly.
Liu Changdie responded with a respectful nod, his face lighting up as he thought, It's a relief to see both Li Qinghong and Li Yuanping still alive. At least Yuanjiao won't be alone on Mount Wutu... drinking by himself all the time as he did in my previous life!
Li Xuanxuan smiled, inviting him to sit. After a brief conversation, he leaned in and whispered, "How much do you know about the Eastern Fire Grotto Heaven ?"
Liu Changdie sighed deeply and replied, "It's a dismal place. Soon, more rogue cultivators from the Eastern Sea will be able to enter... Striving for it is merely laboring to the benefit of the three sects and seven gates!"
Liu Changdie, having lived two lives now, had only seen the true nature of the three sects and seven gates just before his death in his previous life.
Naturally, he was averse to the idea of going to the Eastern Fire Grotto Heaven.
"Fellow Daoist, you have keen insight!" Li Xuanxuan said approvingly and then asked, "Do you know if the Dao Collection from the Eastern Fire Grotto Heaven has been leaked?"
Li Xuanxuan was deeply concerned about this. The Golden Palace Radiant Origin Manual in their clan was closely related to the ancient Wei Kingdom, and since Dongli Sect was also a descendant of the Wei Kingdom, he was particularly anxious to know about the matter.
Liu Changdie, lacking specific information, relied on his memories from his previous life and replied gravely, "The Dongli Dao Collection had been taken by Chu Yi. There is nothing particularly good or bad about it, just that the Grade Two and Three external cultivation techniques from the Dongli Sect, mostly related to the Golden Yang, had been dispersed out there. They might be useful to the rogue cultivators though."
Li Xuanxuan was pleased with this news. "Good, good!" he said with an approving nod.
He had been worried about being unable to explain the origin of his family's Golden Palace Radiant Origin Manual . Now that the Golden Yang-related techniques had been scattered out there, it could hide their family's Radiant Origin Pass immortal foundation better.
Since none of the three sects obtained the Dao Collection, they likely did not possess Purple Mansion Realm cultivation techniques. Naturally, there were no disciples practicing such techniques, let alone pose a threat to his immortal foundation.
Moreover, in the future, we might be able to collect more techniques from this lineage, allowing for mutual verification and further advancement in cultivation.
Perhaps one day, the mirror might bestow upon us Purple Mansion Realm cultivation techniques... Once a Purple Mansion emerges from our family, this type of cultivation technique will come in handy!
With these promising prospects ahead, Li Xuanxuan felt quite pleased.
————
Li Yuanjiao rode the wind toward Mount Dali, flying past many mountains until a majestic white banyan tree appeared beneath him. He descended gracefully among the trees before landing on a soft carpet of grass and stowed away the Profound Patterned Bottle.
The area was devoid of any demonic presence. Golden sunlight filtered through the treetops, casting a warm and inviting glow all around the place.
He squinted slightly, surveying the clean slope that lacked even a single fallen leaf. Aware that the fox might be hiding nearby, he cupped his fist and called out respectfully, "Yuanjiao of the Li Family has come to pay his respects to the senior... Please reveal yourself!"
Li Yuanjiao waited patiently until a reddish demonic wind finally swirled into existence, revealing a fox half the height of a man. It stood not far from him, its dark eyes fixated on him warily.
Though much smaller now, the fox was at the ninth heavenly layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm.
Li Yuanjiao cupped his fist respectfully again and said, "Congratulations on your cultivation progress, Senior."
The fox lowered its head slightly and replied from a distance, "This progress is nothing compared to yours. Establishing a foundation in just a few decades is quite remarkable, even among humans."
Li Yuanjiao responded modestly to the praise, noting the fox's wariness toward him. He set down a bag of Spirit Paddies and continued humbly, "I've come to seek your advice on a matter, Senior."
"I've captured a Hooked Serpent. First, I wish to know if it's possible to tame this demon creature for my family's use... Second, I've heard that the Hooked Serpent is a sea demon. Does it have any significant background?"
The fox scrutinized him closely before replying, "The art of spiritual control is a closely guarded secret of the Demon Den. If you wish to tame it, you'll have to seek help from the Demon King of the Demon Den. However, you should perish the thought..."
"As for the Hooked Serpent, to trace their background, we'd have to delve into the primordial era. The tales of this creature are well-known, though they could only be regarded as mere stories."
The fox continued, "In the primordial era, the Hooked Serpents had a Demon Palace in the Eastern Sea. They followed the ways of Feathered Serpents and disregarded Serpent Dragon's commands. Eventually, the palace was destroyed by the Converging Water True Hornless Dragon... Their kind then wandered the sea, and thus, they lack a significant background."
Li Yuanjiao listened intently as the fox relaxed slightly and added, "In that battle, the Pristine Water Feathered Serpent was devoured by the Hornless Dragon. Seven years later, it gave birth to nine sons, who in turn devoured Hornless Dragon... The Pristine Water and Converging Water had been locked in conflict ever since. Presently, Pristine Water resides in the inland sea while Converging Water is out there, bringing a fragile peace."
Eager for more information, Li Yuanjiao was met with silence. The fox merely concluded his story by saying simply, "In short, the Hooked Serpent is not particularly formidable, and there are many such creatures in the seas."
Li Yuanjiao pressed on with a few more questions, but the fox remained tight-lipped. Reluctantly, he shifted topics.
"Senior, can we do something about the Foundation Establishment Realm pig demon in the mountains?" he asked.
The pig demon had been entrenched near the Li Family's territory for a century, and Li Yuanjiao had never forgotten about it. With the formation plate now in his possession, he began to have a few ideas formulating in his mind.
"That stupid big guy..."
The fox demon seemed like it wanted to comment more but stopped itself before saying, "You can kill it as long as you lure it out of Mount Dali. It's not a big deal if it dies outside. You can gather some spirit items and Spirit Stones, and I'll handle the den for you. Everything will be fine!"
"My only concern is it being a mid-stage Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator. If you fail to kill it, it might return to the den and bring reinforcements which could spell trouble for your family."
Li Yuanjiao nodded slightly, understanding the situation. He asked a few more questions, but seeing that the fox demon was disinterested, he cupped his fist and took his leave.
As Li Yuanjiao departed on the wind, the fox demon sighed with relief, reclining lazily under the tree.
That child is exceptionally talented, cautious, and a bit more ruthless than Tongya... Less generous, too. Tongya probably made a good choice handing over the clan to him...
The fox demon then took out a piece of white quartz from its fur and murmured softly,
"Li Yuanjiao has established his foundation!"