Li Yuanjiao flew out from Mount Dali with a plan already in his mind.
This senior fox demon is an ally of my family, so it probably won't deceive me. I bet it's no ordinary fox demon, given how knowledgeable it is!
When he descended on the mountain earlier, he had activated the Profound Patterned Bottle . That should have allowed him to remain undetected by even Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators, provided he kept his distance. Yet, the fox had detected him early and gone into hiding, leaving not even a trace beneath the banyan tree.
A Qi Cultivation Realm fox demon managed to detect me so quickly and escaped without leaving a trace... What was that all about? That felt too deliberate... Was it trying to warn me?
He stroked his chin and speculated, "This must have something to do with the Demon Den of Mount Dali!"
I wonder how the ancestor became acquainted with this demon fox... Xiao Chuting is convinced that my family has a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator. Perhaps it's related to Mount Dali's attitude...
Li Yuanjiao turned these thoughts over in his mind but had no solid clues. His focus then shifted back to the pig demon. Upon returning to the peak, he saw Li Qinghong conversing with another cultivator.
As Li Yuanjiao approached, the cultivator quickly rose and greeted him with a smile.
"Brother Yuanjiao! It's been a long time!"
Li Yuanjiao was momentarily surprised before a smile appeared on his face.
"Ah, It's you, Brother Changdie!"
Liu Changdie, now at the ninth heavenly layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm, continued smiling warmly.
"I haven't seen you in years, Brother. I never expected you to establish your foundation so soon!" he said.
Secretly, Liu Changdie felt a pang of disappointment.
I did not expect that Yuanjiao's cultivation would progress so rapidly in this life... Even if I started a new life, I wouldn't match his speed. How can the gap between two humans be this enormous?!
Li Yuanjiao responded modestly to his praise but his mind was preoccupied with the formation at Qingdu Peak.
The formation at Qingdu Peak hasn't been set up yet. Now that Liu Changdie is here, we can finally get it done! Uncle Xuanfeng hasn't been back for so many years now, this is also a good opportunity to ask for his news...
The two men settled into their seats, and Li Yuanjiao began with a smile, "I heard you went to Yi Mountain City. Have you heard any news about my uncle, Li Xuanfeng?"
Liu Changdie cupped his fist and replied, "Of course! Congratulations, Brother! Senior Xuanfeng and fellow Daoist Ning Hemian have married and are now highly respected. Their reputation in the city is soaring!"
As soon as Liu Changdie spoke, Li Yuanjiao was taken aback and Li Qinghong looked stunned, while Li Xuanxuan frowned. However, it was not appropriate for them to discuss anything in the presence of an outsider, so the room fell silent.
Li Qinghong quickly recovered and exclaimed, "This is indeed great news! Thank you for sharing it with us, fellow Daoist!"
Liu Changdie dared not comment anything and remained quiet. As someone who had lived two lives, even he could sense that something was amiss. With a smile, he retrieved a storage pouch and a letter from his chest pocket, explaining, "This is what Senior asked me to bring back..."
Li Yuanjiao thanked him and took the items, setting them aside before asking, "With your current cultivation, are you able to set up a Foundation Establishment Realm formation, Brother?"
The Li Family's legacies now encompassed formations, talismans, and alchemy. However, their expertise was limited to setting up formations at the Embryonic Breathing level. While they possessed numerous Qi Cultivation Realm formation diagrams, setting up one was challenging, especially when compared to Liu Changdie's proficiency. Consequently, setting up a Foundation Establishment Realm formation was far beyond their current capabilities.
The most highly skilled talisman crafter was Li Xuanxuan. Unfortunately, his disciples and clansmen only succeeded in making Embryonic Breathing Realm talismans which frustrated Li Xuanxuan to no end.
The arts of Immortal Cultivation required considerable talent, and within the main family, only Li Xuanxuan and Li Ximing exhibited notable skill.
Liu Changdie nodded, looking slightly embarrassed, and replied, "I have made significant progress in restoring formations in Yi Mountain City over the years. If there is a formation diagram, I can give it a try, though it will be costly if I fail..."
Foundation Establishment Realm formations were rare, and Liu Changdie, being an average formation master, would find setting up one a rare opportunity.
He added eagerly, "If your esteemed clan can offer me this opportunity, I can contribute some materials myself! The cost would be around four or five hundred Spirit Stones."
That's ten years worth of tribute...
The price left everyone stunned. The Li Family's maximum annual revenue was only forty Spirit Stones, barely covering the tribute they had to submit. Their savings came primarily from the Ebony Mine and Wanglin Blossoms, accumulating to only thirteen or fourteen Spirit Stones a year.
If they proceed, it would take forty to fifty years to afford the formation.
Although the recent defeat of the devil cultivators brought in significant income, the family still has only fifty to sixty Spirit Stones in reserve, and that is not at all enough for such an expenditure.
Everyone fell silent. Liu Changdie, realizing the situation, shrank back and remained quiet.
After a pause, Li Yuanjiao responded, "That's quite expensive... My family can't afford it right now. It might be better to use a Qi Cultivation Realm formation for the time being."
Liu Changdie nodded quickly and said, "I will check the earth vein and spiritual energy distribution in the mountains and set up the formation in a few days."
Li Yuanjiao nodded in agreement. He exchanged a few more words with Liu Changdie, and then watched him leave.
"Jiao'er!"
As soon as Liu Changdie departed, Li Xuanxuan looked uneasy as he wondered aloud, "What is Yuan Su plotting against our family...?"
There was no such thing as a free lunch in this world. Li Xuanfeng's sudden promotion and marriage into Daoist Master Yuan Su's family raised concerns. The old man muttered for a while and asked, "W-What is Xuanfeng thinking?!"
Li Yuanjiao took out the letter brought back by Liu Changdie, decrypted it using the family's secret technique, and read it carefully.
He soon frowned in puzzlement and murmured, "Li's bloodline of Wei?"
Handing the letter over to the others, Li Yuanjiao pondered its contents. The letter mentioned Yuan Su's attitude toward the family and his own speculations of a few things he had heard there. The letter was ten pages long.
Everyone read the letter carefully. Li Qinghong vaguely felt it was good news and shared her views.
"Since Yuan Su mistakenly believes our family to be of the Li Family of Wei, we might be able to cover up the matter of the spiritual orifice. However, it seems he may want to do something with his own bloodline."
Initially, Yuan Su had only casually promoted Li Xuanfeng. Upon learning that they were the descendants of the Li Family of Wei State, he decided to form an alliance with the Li Family through marriage. This led the four of them to speculate that his intention might be related to their bloodline.
Li Yuanjiao thought deeply but had too little information to make a definitive guess. He reviewed the storage pouch, noting that Li Xuanfeng had sent back thirty Spirit Stones and an Essence Gathering Pill.
Li Yuanjiao took out a jade bottle and poured its contents out. It was a gray pill with intricate patterns on it.
"I knew it'd be a blood pill..." he said with a sigh.
Although Li Qinghong was preparing to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, this blood pill was unsuitable for her.
Li Yuanjiao considered for a moment and concluded, This pill may not be usable, but it's still extremely valuable. Selling it at a great price could be as beneficial as using it for further cultivation!