Kong Tingyun stood in the air.
The townspeople at the foot of the mountain bustled about, looking up at her with little fear. She glanced around and asked, "Your territory may not be large, but your population is prosperous... I noticed that there are many Embryonic Breathing Realm and unrefined Qi Cultivators."
Li Xijun nodded and said a few words in response, but Kong Tingyun reminded him, "Having many people and cultivators isn't always good, you'll still need to control them."
Kong Tingyun's tactful reminder was made in good faith. Li Xijun nodded again, replying softly, "Thank you for your reminder, Senior. My family has been selecting spiritual orifices... It's rare for ordinary talents to enter my family."
While they were speaking, the middle-aged man from Profound Peak Gate had completed his survey and returned with the wind. His tone was calm as he reported, "Peak Master, this place has a good fire vein! A flat baleful fire can be obtained if drawn out from the earth. It can be used to craft tools and pills, but gathering qi will be slow."
The middle-aged man stepped back and Kong Tingyun remarked, "Pretty good... considering it is by a lake. If there are no issues, we can proceed to draw out this fire vein."
Li Xijun bowed and replied, "I'll leave it up to you, Senior."
Kong Tingyun tilted her head slightly, instructing her subordinate to proceed. The middle-aged man received the order and got busy right away. Meanwhile, Li Xicheng stepped forward and asked a few questions, then bowed to Kong Tingyun and joined the middle-aged man.
Li Xijun could not keep Kong Tingyun waiting around, so he politely led her to Mount Qingdu. As soon as Kong Tingyun took a seat, she remarked, "I heard that there's a female thunder cultivator in your family... I wonder if I might have the chance to meet her."
"Aunt Qinghong is currently cultivating in seclusion to break through to Foundation Establishment Realm, Senior," Li Xijun replied respectfully.
Kong Tingyun sighed softly before replying, "What a pity. In recent years, several thunder techniques have emerged in the world. The Proud Peak heard that the Yu Family also has a thunder cultivator."
She paused and smiled before continuing.
"I made a bet with the others from my gate that the Li Family's thunder cultivator would be the first to establish her foundation... It seems like I'll likely win."
Li Xijun listened intently, not daring to comment further after her statement.
Kong Tingyun continued, "The destiny of Buzi from the Azure Pond must have arrived. He has been wandering around in the Eastern Sea for the past few years and rarely returns to the sect. The Eastern Fire Grotto Heaven is now being overseen by the Golden Feather Sect. The Azure Pond Grotto Heaven probably couldn't bear it any longer and declared that they would send a late-stage Purple Mansion Realm cultivator named Daoist Master Suiguan to guard the sect."
Li Xijun was secretly surprised by this news despite maintaining a calm exterior. He nodded and asked, "Late-stage Purple Mansion Realm cultivator huh...? The upper sect is truly powerful."
"Of course," Kong Tingyun replied, curling her lips as continued softly, "Every ten years, two or three cultivators successfully establish their foundations among the thirty-six peaks of Azure Pond. In the past five hundred years, four Purple Mansion Realm cultivators that are not surnamed Chi have emerged. Although Azure Pond Grotto Heaven is about the size of a prefecture, it is filled with opportunities... Can you imagine how many Purple Mansion Realm cultivators are in there?"
"I'm sure it's an impressive number," Li Xijun praised, lowering his head then saying nothing more. Meanwhile, Kong Tingyun leaned back and played with her golden pearl.
After a moment, Mount Wutu shook powerfully.
"The fire vein has begun to move. My senior brother will stay here to manage the earth vein for a year and a half and watch over it for three years. Since Li Yuanjiao won't emerge from his seclusion for a while, I'll take my leave now," she remarked simply.
She then stretched out her delicate hand and asked, "Can you return my Emerald Jade Plate to me now?"
It was only at this moment that Li Xijun finally knew the formation plate's name. He took it out and handed it to Kong Tingyun, albeit reluctantly.
"Senior, can I rent this formation plate?" he asked respectfully.
Kong Tingyun saw the hope in his eyes and smiled gently.
"Tough. The sect has ordered me to go to the Eastern Sea, and I'll be moving around... Besides, when I get to the island, I also need this formation plate to protect myself and fight the enemy, so I can't lend it out," she said with a slight shrug.
As she put away the formation plate, Li Xijun apologized for making the troubling request before escorting her out of the Li Family's territory.
When he returned, riding on the chilly wind, a large clearing had been created on Mount Wutu. Many light red lines were engraved on the smooth ground, and a large hole in the middle of it was spewing out thick smoke.
Li Ximing was holding a jade gourd by his side. As soon as black smoke rose from the hole, it was immediately sucked and absorbed into it. The middle-aged man stood beside the pit, performing hand seals to control the formation.
The man from Profound Peak Gate looked like he was so done with life as he stared at the fire in his hand, not caring about anything else. When Li Xijun landed, his expression changed slightly as he said hoarsely, "Kong Gusun from Profound Peak greets fellow Daoist."
"Li Xijun of Qingdu," Li Xijun answered in a friendly manner, and Kong Gusun nodded as he continued working with the fire vein.
Li Ximing, who was standing by, also had the ability to control fire. He was tempted to try but did not want to expose his talent, so he held back. Li Xijun watched for a while but could not understand what the middle-aged man was doing.
It was at this moment Li Xicheng arrived on the wind. He stood a head taller than his younger brother and had nice facial features, though he always wore a serious expression.
"Jun'er, that monk is leaving!" he informed in a small voice.
He was over a dozen years older than his younger brothers, and could practically be old enough to be their father. Li Yuanyun did not care about the family, and he had been the one to raise Li Xijun, so he called him by his nickname.
Since Li Qinghong heeded the monk's advice to cultivate at the Heavenly Thunder Peak, Li Xijun had sent people to keep a close watch on the monk. Upon hearing the news, he asked hurriedly, "Did you stop him?"
"We did, but the monk refused to obey," Li Xicheng replied helplessly.
Li Xijun immediately dragged his brother along and flew out to the lake together. As expected, he saw a ball of golden light on it, surrounded by several cultivators from the Li Family.
Xu Gongming was fighting within and wielded a pair of short halberds. Half of his face was masked to cover the injuries he had sustained during the devil plague. In recent years, he had made great progress and reached the fifth heavenly layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm.
Behind him were two talents—An Siming and An Siwei—one holding a spear and the other holding a sword. They were both Qi Cultivators, protecting Xu Gongming's left and right flanks.
An Zheyan did not accomplish much, but he had talented sons. Although these two brothers were not as gifted as An Jingming, they were also around twenty-five and twenty-six years old, very sensible, and always humble.
Surrounded by the crowd, Kongheng squinted his narrow eyes, holding the monk staff in his fair hands and speaking softly. Li Xijun had good eyesight and managed to read his lips.
"Why are you stopping me?" he asked.
Li Xijun sighed and thought to himself, He has appeared a bit early and has not been around for a few years.... It's hard for him to explain himself.
He pulled the hem of his older brother's clothes and whispered, "Big Brother, please get all of them to leave and bring Kongheng to Mount Qingdu."
Li Xicheng was stunned for a moment, then realized that Li Xijun beside him had already reached the fifth heavenly layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm. He felt both happy and surprised, and followed his orders while Li Xijun then flew back to the mountain.
He found a small forest on Mount Qingdu, set out a stone table and a few chairs, and then quietly brewed tea.
The Li Family had come to understand Kongheng's personality over the years, so Li Xijun was not worried that he would not show up. After waiting for a while, sure enough, Kongheng arrived at the mountain as expected.
The monk was slightly stunned at first, looking at him in disbelief. After saying two long honorific titles, he added, "Your cultivation progress is improving rapidly, my friend."
"I am just lucky," Li Xijun replied. He and Kongheng had only met a few times many years ago. Kongheng quickly changed the subject and requested politely, "I have to go out for a while; please let me go, fellow Daoist."