The spiritual energy at the northern foot of Mountain Dali was gradually returning, and with this resurgence, the presence of demons increased. Li Tongya had only been away for two months when a bear demon appeared at Lidaokou Village.
Fortunately, the demon was only at the Profound Scenery stage. With Li Xiangping on the verge of breaking through to the Azure Essence stage, he was able to keep the situation under control. He gathered the men in the village and wielded his bow, releasing several golden arrows that swiftly dealt with the demon.
On one hand, Li Xiangping had to arrange for the demon’s remains to be hauled to the Wan Family and sold to Wan Xiaohua. On the other, he was tasked with planning the reconstruction of the road damaged by the demon’s rampage. This left him so occupied that he had not returned to Mount Lijing for several days.
Back at home, his mother and Tian Yun, along with Ren Ping’er, were busy taking care of little Xuanfeng and Jingtian in the main courtyard.
Li Xuanxuan, having recently condensed the Profound Scenery Chakra, had eagerly accompanied his third uncle down the mountain to confront the demon, leaving Li Mutian alone in the backyard.
Li Mutian, unable to sit idle, busied himself crafting a set of furniture. He placed it outside the house that accommodated the stone platform, spending his days watching the spring breeze dance through the courtyard.
Now nearly seventy, the wounds from his youth occasionally reminded him of their presence. The toll of a farmer’s life had aged him quickly. His hair was gray, and his vigor was not what it once was.
He took a seat in the courtyard, his thoughts often drifting to his two children who were away from home as well as the affairs at home.
“I don’t worry about Xiangping and Tongya, they have the potential to bring prosperity to our Li Family. But Jing’er, he’s so far away from home, in the depths of the unknown of the immortal sect without anyone to help him. I wonder how he’s doing right now.”
Stroking his white beard, the old man gazed at the mirror on the stone platform and mused to himself, “One’s success is everyone’s glory, and one’s loss is borne by the entire family.”
————
The small courtyards on the Cloud Crowned Peak of the Xiao Family were shrouded in a veil of clouds and mist, so dense that it was rumored even spiritual sense could not penetrate it.
As Li Tongya and Wan Yuankai followed behind the Xiao Family’s servants, they eventually reached the flat summit of the mountain.
Judging by our steps, Cloud Crowned Peak doesn’t seem much taller than Mount Lijing , Li Tongya mused silently.
Upon reaching the top, they saw a large courtyard bustling with about thirty to forty people. All of them were well dressed, conversing in hushed tones in small groups.
Amidst them all, an elderly man sat serenely at the highest point, his gaze lowered to a book in his hands.
“That old man there is Xiao Chuting, an elder of the Xiao family who has attained the Foundation Establishment Realm!” Wan Yuankai whispered, causing Li Tongya to quickly divert his gaze, cautious not to inadvertently offend such a distinguished figure.
“Senior Xiao is quite the legend. Over a century ago, the Xiao Family was barely notable in the prefecture. After the tragic demise of their chief who was in the Qi Cultivation Realm, Senior Xiao averted the family’s downfall with his exceptional pill-refining skills. Not long after that, he attained the Foundation Establishment Realm and elevated the Xiao Family to their current status of a prestigious clan,” Xiao Yuankai continued explaining as he looked around in the courtyard.
All of a sudden, his eyes lit up as he stepped forward and respectfully greeted, “Brother Lu! It’s been so long, how have you been?”
The man had a huge forehead and a blue silk cloak draped over his shoulders, radiating an air of natural pride despite his otherwise unassuming face.
With a slight furrow of his brow, he responded somewhat coolly, “Ah, Brother Yuankai, it’s been a while indeed.”
Wan Yuankai smiled awkwardly at the cold greeting returned to him, but was immediately taken aback by the gray pouch hanging at the man’s waist.
The Lu Family is wealthy now, huh? Since he’s given a storage pouch, does that mean...
“Have you... broken through to the Qi Cultivation Stage, my friend?”
“Yes, thanks to a small reserve of Minor Pure Spiritual Qi at home,” the man replied with a slight nod, lifting his chin proudly as he noticed the envious glances of others around them.
Wan Yuankai’s expression turned slightly pale as he congratulated the man in a small voice. “Congratulations, that makes two cultivators in the Qi Cultivation Realm in your clan.”
Wan Yuankai tried exchanging a few more words with the cultivator from the Lu clan, but the cold responses from the man made him give up and return to Li Tongya with a somber look on his face.
Li Tongya was aware of the Lu Family, whose territory was just adjacent to the Wan Family’s. There was an unmistakable hint of envy in Wan Yuankai’s voice when he previously mentioned to him that the Lu family had a cultivator in the Qi Cultivation Realm.
“How did the Lu Family gain another cultivator in the Qi Cultivation Realm? I remember Lu Pingyuan once visited our family and offered us help against the Ji Family. Back then, he was only at the Jade Capital stage. But now, he’s already attained the Qi Cultivation Realm!”
“This Minor Pure Spiritual Qi... It sounds fancy, but it’s really just refined using common spiritual qi on the mountains! With some effort, anyone could succeed in it. In fact, most cultivators rely on Minor Pure Spiritual Qi,” Wan Yuankai commented disdainfully, as though trying to vent the frustration from being treated coldly earlier. Despite his dismissive words, it was clear from his expression that he deeply envied the Lu Family.
As they conversed quietly, a magnificent light gradually rose in the east. The cultivators around them looked up and began murmuring amongst themselves again.
“Quite the grand entrance.”
“So that’s a Dawn Cloudliner?”
The ethereal light from the east gradually neared, unveiling its true identity—a magnificent cloud ship enveloped in golden light. Adorned with misty wings on either side, it effortlessly sliced through the veils of clouds and mist. In just a few moments, the ship gracefully alighted upon the mountain’s peak.
“Welcome, envoy from the immortal sect!” The gathered cultivators, including Xiao Chuting, bowed in respect.
From the Dawn Cloudliner, several streams of green light descended gracefully. As it landed on the mountaintop, a woman wearing a pale blue dress and a cloak came into view. Her face was covered by a veil, so no one could discern her true appearance. Accompanying her were several attendants from the immortal sect, all clad in blue uniforms.
Xiao Chuting came forward with a warm smile and said, “Greetings, envoy.”
“No formalities needed, Senior!” The fairy’s voice was both clear and gentle, making her seem like a noble lady.
“Well, then I shall keep this short. These are the tributes from the Xiao Family this year.” Xiao Chuting chuckled and gestured to the members of the Xiao Family, who began moving their impressive tributes from the front yard. They hefted bags of Spirit Rice, easily amounting to several thousand jin in total. Additionally, there were also over a dozen boxes brimming with a variety of spirit goods, opened and ready for inspection.
“Five thousand jin of Purple Jade Spirit Rice, and all other spirit goods are accounted for as per the usual share. You may proceed with the inspection, Fairy.”
Ning Wan shook her head and softly declined, “No need. I trust the Xiao Family’s reputation.”
Xiao Chuting cupped his fist respectfully while his family members began moving the spirit goods and Spirit Rice onto the Cloudliner. Given the sheer volume—a staggering five or six thousand jin of spirit commodities, a typical storage bag was inadequate for the task. Hence, the Dawn Cloudliner was required.
Following this, other families quickly stepped forward, each announcing their names and presenting the tributes from their families.
“Wu Family from the south of the prefecture.”
“Lu Family from Mount Tiaoyun.”
.........
“Wan Family from Mount Huaqian.”
“Li Family from Lijing Village.”
Wan Yuankai and Li Tongya approached together, presenting their tributes to the attendants. The Li Family’s tributes this year consisted of ten White Essence Fruits and two hundred jin of Spirit Rice.
Li Tongya’s heart ached when he looked at the remaining ninety jin of Spirit Rice and five White Essence Fruits. However, his attention was suddenly captured by Ning Wang’s voice.
“So, you are from the Li Family from Lijing Village?”