Li Xuanfeng gathered his belongings, stepped onto his flying shuttle, and, with two Ning Family cultivators in tow, set off with his golden bow slung over his back. They flew gracefully toward the Azure Pond Sect. The two Ning Family members, having grown accustomed to traveling with him, used the journey to brief him on the clans of the nearby prefectures.
These two brothers were from a branch of the Ning Family and had followed Li Xuanfeng for over a decade, deeply respecting him. Li Xuanfeng listened absently, uninterested in lingering along the way. They glided over the landscape, arriving at the Azure Pond Sect, where he instructed them, "Go ahead and gather all those who are heading to the Eastern Sea."
He waited patiently. According to the practices of the Azure Pond Sect, most of those being sent to guard the Eastern Sea were likely cultivators with limited talents. Aside from members of the Chi and Ning families, disciples from Yuan Su, Yuanwu, and Yuan Xiu's Peaks were often assigned to the southern borders or the Eastern Sea.
He waited for a while, choosing not to enter the mountain. Instead, he seated himself in a pavilion, watching the mist drift across Mount Azure Pond. After a short time, he heard a commotion as the two Ning Family members returned, leading a group of cultivators.
The group of young men and women wore azure Daoist robes. Most of them were at the Qi Cultivation Realm, their faces filled with the fresh inexperience of novices. They lined up behind the two Ning Family members and called out in unison, "Greetings, Daoist!"
Within the Azure Pond Sect, those who held the title of Peak Master at the Foundation Establishment Realm were addressed as Peak Masters. If they lacked this title, they were simply called Daoists—after all, within the Azure Pond Sect, Foundation Establishment Realm alone was not enough to earn the title of an ancestor.
Li Xuanfeng found this a little strange. Years ago, his family had treated disciples from Azure Pond Sect with the utmost respect, not daring to defy them. He recalled his visit to Cloud Crowned Peak of the Xiao Family back then, where even a mere sect attendant could command a small clan's family head at will.
Back then, he had been a lowly archer, serving under the sect's disciples. Now, he had become a senior to the very members of Azure Pond, which made him chuckle quietly as he gave them a slight nod.
To the Embryonic Breathing and Qi Cultivation Realm disciples, however, Li Xuanfeng in his Black Gold Spirit Armor was an awe-inspiring sight. His armor's elegant lines and fierce expression, with eyes sharp as a hawk, seemed to emit a golden glow. Combined with the ferocious longbow hanging from his golden robe, his imposing presence was undeniable!
Just by standing there, he exuded the aura of a veteran general who had guarded the wild borders for years. His slightly hoarse voice and commanding gaze added to his formidable image, with the gleam of his golden bow making the eyes of onlookers ache.
"I heard this senior was born with immense strength, able to wrestle tigers and wolves... He comes from a distinguished sword-wielding clan, yet chose to abandon the sword and master the golden bow instead... single-handedly dispersing the clouds of demons in the Southern Border!"
The young disciples whispered among themselves, filled with admiration for the man.
Even though they were members of an immortal sect, Foundation Establishment Realm was still an uncertain achievement for many. With fierce internal competition and frequent assignments to guard distant territories, becoming someone of Li Xuanfeng's stature was no small feat.
Li Xuanfeng scanned the group; once he saw that everyone had gathered, he tapped the golden beast buckle on his belt and took out a jade ship.
Initially the size of a thumb, the spirit shuttle expanded rapidly, glowing with emerald light until it transformed into a great boat over ten zhang in length. It floated gently in the air.
"The Everflowing Jade Cloudliner ."
The boat was not Li Xuanfeng's possession; rather, Ning Wan had loaned it to him. When she had heard that he had no means of transport, she had provided the ship for him to carry the dozen or so disciples across Yue State.
Since she was in seclusion cultivating her divine abilities, she had no immediate need for it and was happy to lend it to him.
The Azure Pond disciples, accustomed to seeing spirit ships, showed little surprise as they boarded. The ship was spacious enough, and the two Ning Family brothers took it upon themselves to pilot it. Li Xuanfeng stood at the front of the vessel, gazing down at the sea of clouds and peaks below.
"If only I did not have these people with me, I would not need to delay. I have to finish my current task before I can return home for a visit... Otherwise, I would have stopped by the Lake Xian area to drop by home."
He watched the clouds part and gather, light and shadow shifting as they crossed over Mount Quanwu and reached Libu Prefecture.
The elder Ning brother at the front called out, "General, up ahead is Wubu Market!"
Li Xuanfeng understood what he meant; his grand-nephew Li Xizhi was stationed there as the local guardian. However, with all the disciples on board, stopping casually could cause misunderstandings, so he replied, "Keep going... no need to stop."
"Yes!"
They obeyed and continued steering the spirit ship, while Li Xuanfeng began to adjust his breathing and focus.
He cultivated the Golden Light Edge Technique , a Grade Three technique obtained from the Ji Family, which was practiced by a branch of the Situ Family. Compared to techniques passed down among the main lineages of the immortal sects, it was somewhat lacking.
After reaching Foundation Establishment Realm, however, Ning Hemian had acquired a Grade Four manual for him from within the sect, called Golden Stone Lofty Skies Technique . It allowed him to cultivate to the peak of the Foundation Establishment Realm, significantly speeding up his progress. Yet, since he had already formed his Immortal Foundation, he still could not match those who had fully cultivated the Golden Stone Lofty Skies Technique from the start.
Li Xuanfeng was rather indifferent about it; his Immortal Foundation had already been refined to its utmost limits, so a little more or less made no difference.
The Engraved Stone Dao foundation came from the Golden Tang Gate, with qi that could break through formations, split mountains, and destroy enemy artifacts. It specialized in targeting weaknesses, with its power growing stronger with each life taken, tempered by the blood qi of his fallen enemies.
And over the decades, Li Xuanfeng had slain countless foes in the Southern Border. He had suffered many wounds in his early years, but with this spirit armor, he had become even more formidable. The number of Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators who had fallen by his hand had long since entered the double digits.
In his qihai acupoint, a chaotic golden-red light swirled. He had refined it to its limit two years ago, reaching a point where further refinement was impossible. His confidence came from this source, a confidence grounded in hard-won strength.
Daoist Master Yuan Su promoted me likely because of this , he thought to himself.
Over the years, Li Xuanfeng had gained insight into Daoist Master Yuan Su's intentions. Ning Tiaoxiao needed someone among the Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators who was strong enough to crush any minor threats—someone who could handle matters that he himself found inconvenient to attend to.
This Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator not only needed to be exceptionally powerful and loyal but also had to be without prospects for advancement, with weaknesses Yuan Su could exploit... and perhaps even be willing to sacrifice themselves in a critical moment.
Daoist Master Yuan Su was cunning to the core—a master strategist. He had discerned Li Xuanfeng's character perfectly, not only marrying him to a woman from the clan but also placing members of the Ning Family around him, either as subordinates or as colleagues. The Ning Family members themselves did not fully realize it, yet they had already come to care for him genuinely.
"After all, he is a cultivator of several hundred years... His methods are impeccable. He does not need divine abilities or spells to manipulate people."
Clad in the Black Gold Armor that his wife had sought for him, Li Xuanfeng stood quietly, gazing deeply at the setting sun descending in front of him.
"Boss, we are leaving the prefecture!"
The elder Ning brother, his forehead slightly sweaty, turned around and grinned, flashing a set of white teeth. His younger brother looked up at Li Xuanfeng with a shy but admiring gaze.
"Got it," Li Xuanfeng replied.
The Ning brothers kept the ship steady, calling him "General" and "Boss" with utmost loyalty. Li Xuanfeng was not easily deceived, and for years, he had harbored doubts that these two were sent to monitor him. However, after several times when they had risked their lives to protect him, he had come to see them as his own people.
Now, as long as Li Xuanfeng could not, in good conscience, abandon his wife and subordinates, Yuan Su's purpose had been fulfilled. Surveying his surroundings, Li Xuanfeng saw loyalty to his clan, his wife, and his duty.
There was no other path forward but to serve Yuan Su.