Li Xiangping fired two more arrows that failed to make an impact. He sighed softly and said, “The formation appears formidable and unbreakable, likely surpassing the Embryonic Breathing Realm.”
“Young Chief, our Li Family lacks knowledge in formation arts. Wouldn’t it be prudent to collaborate with the Wan Family on this...?” Li Qiuyang suggested. He had walked around the hill a few times and scrutinized it, but was unable to discern anything about the formation.
“No.” Li Xiangping shook his head and then continued, “With Second Brother on the brink of breaking through to the Jade Capital stage, our situation may improve. Sharing with the Wan family means dividing any potential gains, even if they failed to break the formation. The risk of conflict over valuable finds is high, so I’d rather avoid that.”
“You’re right, Chief!” Li Qiuyang concurred, stepping back respectfully.
“I’ve told you all to come here to make a few arrangements for me,” Li Xiangping said.
“Yesheng, organize the manpower from Jingyang Village. Discuss this with Uncle Ping’an. Over the next few years, we’ll build roads and courtyards here. Ensure these lands will be well-guarded.
“I’ve assessed the earth veins around here, they’re rich in spiritual energy and make this land a good vast spirit field. We’ll cultivate two batches of Spirit Paddies every five years. That should yield at least a hundred jin of Spirit Rice. Qiuyang, you will be overseeing this.”
“Understood!” After Li Qiuyang accepted his instruction, he descended the mountain with Li Yesheng to make the necessary arrangements with Ren Ping’an.
“Once added to our current three hundred jin yield, we could have a surplus of two or three Spirit Stones every five years. With time, our resources will grow,” Li Xiangping mused as he watched the two men descend the mountain and disappear into the distance.
He turned his attention to Li Xuanxuan, only to see him grinning. “What are you thinking?” Li Xiangping asked in amusement.
“I was just thinking that you must really trust Brother Qiuyang,” Li Xuanxuan commented with a smile and looked up at Li Xiangping.
Li Xiangping laughed and then shared, “Li Qiuyang’s family has always been prudent and astute, especially his father, Li Chengfu. They know when to step forward or back, making them reliable people to carry out our tasks. Our family’s properties have grown and we have more people to help out. We should take advantage of them and trust them with the tasks we have delegated to them.”
“Besides, Li Qiuyang may be a cultivator in the Embryonic Breathing Realm now, but advancing to the Qi Cultivation Realm is another matter. And even then, birthing an heir with a spiritual orifice isn’t guaranteed. He can never compare to members of the main family. Right now, there’s no need to worry about him posing a threat. As for the Liu Family of Jingyang Village, they’re practically part of our own now, especially with their only cultivator married into the main family.”
Looking at the thoughtful look on Li Xuanxuan’s face, Li Xiangping leaned closer and whispered, “Besides, his father and older brother are at the foot of Mount Lijing. With Li Qiuyang’s modest cultivation and youth, what impact could he make, especially with Ren Ping’an and Li Yesheng in Jingyang Village keeping watch?”
Li Xuanxuan’s expression lightened as he digested these words. With a chuckle, he said, “Thanks for the valuable lesson, Uncle.”
Li Xiangping straightened up, his eyes warm yet serious. “Pay attention and learn well by my side. One day, the Li Family’s mantle will be yours. I started my immortal cultivation journey at sixteen, so I won’t be able to progress as far as you in life. Besides, life and death are unpredictable. With the increasing number of demons in these mountains, we can’t tell what will happen in the future. Our family must act swiftly, and so must you, Li Xuanxuan.”
“Life and death are indeed unpredictable,” Li Xuanxuan murmured, his thoughts drifting to his father, whom he barely knew, stirring a pang of sadness within him.
————
“The crux of the Embryonic Breathing lies in condensing the Jade Capital Chakra in the Shenyang Mansion. That’s the fifth stage of Embryonic Breathing. Following that, one must condense the Nascent Spirit Chakra and absorb a breath of Spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth to transition into the Qi Cultivation Realm.”
Emerging from deep meditation, Li Tongya felt a profound joy. He could feel his newly awakened spiritual sense coursing through his body. The world looked completely different to him now, he could see wisps of spiritual qi floating about.
He concentrated on the formation flags in front of him with his spiritual sense. The Misty Maze Formation on Mount Lijing immediately quivered, and Li Tongya felt as though he had grown a new limb. The entire mountain was now fully under his control. He could now also remove the blood left by other immortal cultivators on the formation.
“Now that I’ve reached the Jade Capital stage, ordinary mortals can no longer harm me.”
He carefully adjusted the Misty Maze Formation on the mountain to seal off additional pathways that had emerged over time. Picking up a rock from the ground, he crushed it effortlessly in his palm and was able to sense everything within a radius of three meters around him.
With the ability to easily evade surprise arrows and counter sharp blades with bare hands, a cultivator at his stage could easily overpower dozens of mortals or even decimate a small army of hundreds or thousands with good tactics.
Upon entering the backyard, Li Tongya saw Li Xiangping immersed in cultivation. His newly acquired spiritual sense revealed the glowing four spiritual chakras within Li Xiangping’s body.
“So, this is how cultivators discern another’s cultivation... Four spiritual chakras mean that person is at the Azure Essence stage of the Embryonic Breathing Realm.”
As Li Xiangping gradually opened his eyes, Li Tongya greeted him with a chuckle, “Congratulations on your advancement to the Azure Essence stage Third Brother.”
Li Xiangping only offered a wry smile in response. “So that’s how the spiritual sense of the Jade Capital stage works, huh? You were able to discern it right away.”
Their shared glance was full of mutual anticipation and understanding.
Together, they proceeded toward the house at the end of the backyard where their father, Li Mutian, had been expecting their arrival.
Li Tongya cupped his fist and asked, “Father, now that I possess a spiritual sense, I can finally examine this artifact. May I?” The old man nodded slowly, granting permission.
Li Tongya carefully stepped forward and then extended his spiritual sense toward the mirror.
Lu Jiangxian had already woken up when Li Tongya broke through to the Jade Capital stage. Sensing the surge of power from the Profound Pearl Talisman Seed, Lu Jiangxian appraised the potency of his Supreme Yin Profound Light.
“As powerful as an all-out single attack from a cultivator at peak Nascent Spirit stage of the Embryonic Realm. I can probably kill a cultivator in the early Qi Cultivation Realm if I manage to catch them off guard,” he concluded.
“My mana will allow me three uses before I have to absorb moonlight or spiritual qi to recharge the count,” Lu Jiangxian estimated.
Feeling Li Tongya’s probing spiritual sense, Lu Jiangxian felt as though he was being poked by a little tentacle. It reminded him of that playful, secretive poke from a female classmate’s pen during class in his distant past.
With a small sigh, Lu Jiangxian refocused his attention on the young man before him. As if responding to Li Tongya, the mirror emitted a dazzling white light and rose from the stone platform.
The luminous white moonlight surged out from the mirror, cascading like a soft mist throughout the house. It seeped out of the windows and doorways until it dissipated into the air.
Li Xiangping and the others were captivated by the mesmerizing display. The cool, flowing moonlight seemed to cleanse their minds, leaving them in awe and filled with eager anticipation as they gazed toward the stone platform.