Liu Changdie had long been immersed in the art of formations. Despite only performing two rounds of assessments, he could clearly discern the distribution of the earth veins. His eyes shone with a perceptive light, revealing his clarity and insight.
This perception technique, known as the Spirit Eye Perception, was from the Li Family, though no one within the family had yet to master it.
Liu Changdie possessed a wealth of formation skills that allowed him to earn plenty of Spirit Stones with them. Even without a family to support him, he traveled across the state, searching for spirit water, and it took just over a decade for him to master this perception technique.
After a thorough study, Liu Changdie chose the Green Ox River Embrace Formation , a recent addition to his repertoire. This formation, which he developed in Linghai Prefecture, harnessed the power of the lake water around Mount Qingdu, combining it with the earth and water veins to repel enemies.
Breaking this formation would be a prolonged endeavor without the power of the Foundation Establishment Realm. Even an ordinary Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator would struggle to breach it within an hour, making it a superior Qi Cultivation Realm formation indeed.
Formations from Linghai Prefecture often incorporated shamanic spells, adding offensive capabilities to their defensive functions. The Green Ox River Embrace Formation was no exception; it could summon a Green Ox with mana to attack intruders.
Li Yuanjiao was pleased with the formation and inquired further. The Green Ox River Embrace Formation required a substantial amount of Ebony Ores, which the Li Family conveniently possessed, thus saving them some Spirit Stones. Ultimately, the cost would amount to only a hundred Spirit Stones.
"Brother Changdie, you're too generous!" Li Yuanjiao said, frowning. If the cost were truly fixed at a hundred Spirit Stones, his family would owe Liu Changdie a favor. So, he insisted on giving Liu Changdie 115 Spirit Stones which Liu reluctantly accepted.
Liu Changdie stayed for several months while the formation was set up on Mount Qingdu. Kong Yu had mentioned that small peaks would emerge near Qingdu Mountain over the next few years, so Li Yuanjiao made sure the formation's coverage was huge enough to accommodate those peaks as well.
After a drink to celebrate the project's completion, Liu Changdie stayed for another half a month before heading north to the Yue Cultivating Sect's territory to continue his study on formations and seek breakthroughs.
Despite Lu Changdie's eagerness to remain with the Li Family as a guest cultivator, Li Yuanjiao was hesitant to let him stay permanently due to the mysteries surrounding him. Handling the situation diplomatically, Li Yuanjiao, along with Li Qinghong, escorted Liu Changdie out of their territory.
Liu Changdie, reluctant to leave, bade his goodbyes to Li Yuanjiao though he was sighing inwardly.
Alas, we have been together for more than ten years, and the Li Family still doesn't fully trust me given how wary they have always been...
With a heavy heart, he flew out of Moongaze Lake, heading north.
After seeing him off, Li Yuanjiao and Li Qinghong flew over the lake but were approached by a monk with narrow eyes. He clasped his hands together and said to Li Yuanjiao, "Congratulations on establishing your immortal foundation, fellow Daoist."
This monk was none other than Kongheng, who had aided the Li family during the devil plague and continued his cultivation on the lake. Though his motives were unclear, the Li Family remained grateful to him.
Li Yuanjiao replied warmly, "Thank you, Master."
Kongheng nodded, then addressed Li Qinghong.
"When I was traveling the world, I heard of a peak on the Mushroom Forest Plain named Heavenly Thunder Peak . If you're looking to make a breakthrough, you might find it helpful to cultivate in seclusion there."
With that, Kongheng excused himself and floated back to the lake. He rolled up the ends of his trousers and lowered his bald head, then began digging for lotus roots on the shore. His technique was unusual and the fact that he was rarely cultivating in seclusion suggested that he might be facing a bottleneck.
The siblings were puzzled and continued on their journey. Li Qinghong whispered, "What is that monk trying to say?"
Li Yuanjiao shook his head, skepticism evident in his voice as he replied, "Who knows?"
Li Qinghong paused before suggesting, "Let's send someone to investigate. If it's feasible, it might be worth a try."
"Mushroom Forest Plain is within the Yuan Family's territory. If what the monk said is true, we should speak to the Yuan Family. A breakthrough on that peak could be beneficial..."
The two of them returned to the peak and dispatched someone to inquire with the Yuan Family. While Li Qinghong went off to cultivate and meditate, Li Yuanjiao took out the Foundation Establishment Realm formation plate from his storage pouch and began to contemplate the situation with the pig demon on Mount Dali.
Eliminating this demon would allow us to request the white talisman for Ximing and Xijun, as well as free up the northern foothills for qi and herbs gathering, thus improving the family's situation.
Li Yuanjiao waited several days before finally receiving a reply from the Yuan Family. In fact, Yuan Huyuan came in person himself.
Yuan Huyuan, a peak Qi Cultivator, had a complex expression on his face. It was tinged with a hint of shame as he gazed blankly at Li Yuanjiao and mumbled, "You've actually reached the Foundation Establishment Realm!"
Li Yuanjiao was puzzled by his huge reaction and simply replied slowly, "Yuanjiao greets Senior..."
He could not fully grasp the depth of Yuan Huyuan's shock.
When Yuan Huyuan first arrived at Moongaze Lake, Li Chejing was only at the peak of the Embryonic Breathing Realm, and Li Tongya had not even broken through the Jade Capital Stage.
When Li Chejing became a sword immortal and Li Tongya established his immortal foundation, Yuan Huyuan was already amazed. The sight of Li Yuanjiao, a junior, now reaching the Foundation Establishment, left this old man astounded.
After several attempts to call Yuan Huyuan's attention, the elder finally came to his senses and sighed.
"I've hesitated too long... I kept waiting for the right opportunity, wasting years, and ended up like this!"
With renewed determination, Yuan Huyuan quietly resolved to himself, I shall attempt to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm once I return!
Having made up his mind, Yuan Huyuan's demeanor shifted. He smiled, cupping his fist as he said, "Congratulations on your breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Realm, fellow Daoist!"
After exchanging a few words with Li Yuanjiao, Yuan Huyuan said, "I have investigated as you requested. There is indeed a peak on the Mushroom Forest Plain named Heavenly Thunder Peak . The peak is struck by lightning annually due to a thunder mine located there, and as a result, the entire mountain has been scorched black."
"There are very few thunder cultivators in Jiangnan, and my family hadn't considered that location until now. Otherwise, we would have informed you sooner..." he added.
Though Yuan Huyuan's words were courteous, Li Yuanjiao did not take them too seriously. He nodded in agreement and resolved the matter in his heart.
Once we deal with the pig demon, I'll send Qinghong to the Mushroom Forest Plain to cultivate in seclusion!
After Yuan Huyuan had explained everything, he presented a few modest spirit items as a gesture of goodwill. Li Yuanjiao naturally understood his intention and responded warmly. The two exchanged a few more words before Yuan Huyuan smiled and said, "You're too kind, junior. It's reassuring to see your family thriving."
As Yuan Huyuan prepared to leave, Li Yuanjiao escorted him out and thought to himself quietly, This pig demon is at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment Realm... I can't handle it alone. I need to find a helper.
Li Yuanjiao initially wanted to delay this until Li Qinghong successfully completed her breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Realm. Then, he planned to invite another person to join them in dealing with the demon.
However, it was hard to find a Foundation Establishment Realm formation plate and he had no idea when Kong Tingyun would send someone to retrieve it. Without the formation, even four or five people might struggle to subdue the pig demon.
After some contemplation, Li Yuanjiao considered asking the Xiao Family for assistance. However, he was reluctant to appear overly dependent on them.
Uncle Xuanfeng also requested an Essence Gathering Pill. Although it's refined with humans and we have sworn not to consume it, it could be used to recruit help! There might be room for further negotiation for additional items as well.