“Don’t stress about things back at home. Your third brother and I have got everything under control,” Li Tongya reassured Li Chejing with a smile.
Reaching into the storage pouch, he carefully took out ten Spirit Stones and added softly, “We still owe your senior brother, Xiao Yuansi, ten Spirit Stones. Perhaps you could deliver them to Qingsui Peak yourself? It would be more direct than passing them through others.”
Li Chejing, struck by the reminder, laughed heartily. “Ah, how could I forget about the debt to Senior Brother?”
The three brothers conversed leisurely as they strolled past the dwindling stalls and eventually made their way out of the market. They boarded the large boat that carried them to the edge of Moongaze Lake, then set off toward Mount Lijing.
————
Lu Jiangxian was bombarded with a cacophony of sounds and fleeting snippets of conversations amidst his daze, all of which slipped through his grasp like sand through his fingers.
“Brother Jiangqun, this Supreme Yin Moonlight is priceless. That’s the only spiritual qi of heaven and earth that our gate’s Frosty Absolute Sword is missing. The Azure Pond Gate is deeply thankful for your gift today. If you ever need our help, just say the word and our gate will not hesitate to assist!” A melodious female voice expressed gratefully.
In the midst of his confusion, Lu Jiangxian thought he caught a glimpse of a face, but could not recall any details.
“Azure Pond Gate? I thought it’s Azure Pond Sect,” he mumbled to himself, then abruptly snapped awake, his eyes scanning the confines of the small room he was in.
The incense beside the stone platform had been burning for some time, its white smoke curling upward. Li Mutian, who was seated across from him, had drifted off to sleep. The moonlight cast a serene glow on Lu Jiangxian’s bluish-gray body, accentuating its magnificence.
After a thoughtful pause, the details of his dream began to blur, leaving behind only memories of a technique manual.
Essence Conversion Technique!
This technique, like the Profound Pearl Sacrificial Spirit Art, required the mirror as a medium to activate it. It could blend incense, soul, blood essence, or spiritual power and refine them into a talisman qi.
According to the manual, the talisman qi had an array of miraculous effects, including enhancing one’s cultivation, sharpening the six senses, strengthening bones, improving innate abilities, and remedying various deficiencies.
“All these miraculous effects, yet none can restore a mirror! It seems like I must continue searching for items to repair it." Lu Jiangxian sighed.
His divine sense reached out to the talisman seeds that were wandering outside in the world, only to discover that Li Chejing and his other two brothers had left the market and were on the way back to Mount Lijing.
That’s too bad. I guess I can only wait till next time to investigate the pull I sensed from the market.
With a flicker of his divine sense, his bluish-gray mirror floated from the stone platform again, absorbing the moonlight and basking in its tranquil glow.
————
Upon their return to Mount Lijing, Li Chejing took the opportunity to share some wisdom on talisman crafting with his older brothers.
“Since you’re both beginners at talisman drawing, there’s no need to waste precious talisman paper and ink for practice. Mistakes will be costly.”
He then demonstrated by adding a drop of talisman ink into a cup of water, which instantly tinted it a light burgundy.
Spreading a piece of cloth on a stone table and securing the edges with stones, he soaked the blue jade talisman brush in the ink-infused water.
“This will do for practice,” he said confidently.
With swift strokes, he drew on the cloth, completing a talisman in the time it took an incense stick to burn. The pale red rune on the cloth glowed faintly.
Not long after Li Chejing set the brush aside, the cloth spontaneously combusted with a soft pop, astonishingly burning away to nothing more than a smudge of black ash on the table.
“If the talisman is drawn correctly, the cloth won’t be able to endure its power and burn. If not, simply wash the ink away and start over,” he explained.
Li Xiangping was impressed. With a smile, he praised, “That’s a brilliant way to practice, Jing’er. This saves both talisman papers and ink, significantly cutting down on costs.”
Li Chejing nodded and modestly replied, “It’s a tip I got from my master. The Azure Pond Sect has been around for six hundred years, it’s only natural they would have some clever tricks to do things.”
He then raised his head to look at the sky and said, “I still have one more day with you. Has anyone made any progress with the Profound Water Sword Technique?”
His question immediately piqued Li Tongya’s interest. He untied the sword from his waist, then said, “I have managed to manifest the sword aura, but the sword qi wouldn’t leave my sword. Does that count as progress?”
Li Chejing waved and said, “Sword aura is only the beginning. Every sword technique is different, but it generally progresses through a few realms—Sword Aura, Sword Qi, Sword Essence, and Sword Intent. Each technique’s difficulty varies, and the Profound Water Sword Technique is among the simpler ones, allowing quick mastery of the Sword Aura Realm.”
Li Xiangping was feeling somewhat abashed by his failures to master the sword technique. Despite numerous attempts, he had not made any progress, let alone manifest a sword aura.
He could only turn his attention back to reading the Spiritual Talisman Method manual.
Li Chejing unsheathed his pure white sword and then said with a smile, “Watch this.”
As soon as he finished speaking, a pale gray sword aura ignited along the blade’s edge, pulsating as if it was breathing. With a slight raise of his eyebrow, he unleashed the aura, transforming it into a sword qi, approximately three cun wide, that sliced through the air with a sharp whistle before impaling a curtain fig tree in the distance.
Li Tongya watched intently, his brow furrowed in concentration. Li Chejing then stepped forward to guide him.
After Li Tongya went off to practice on his own, a sudden realization dawned on Li Chejing.
“I’ve developed a sword technique on Qingsui Peak. Though it’s only a single move, I should leave a record of it back at home. I’d hate for it to be lost if anything were to happen to me.”
Li Xiangping immediately reprimanded him, “Don’t say something like that! You have to take care of yourself out there, Jing’er. Your second brother and I can’t be of much assistance to you, we can only watch over the family on your behalf. The world is full of dangers, so please be extra careful...”
After Li Xiangping nagged his younger brother who was intently listening to his every word, he paused for a moment before continuing, “I’m not particularly gifted. I’ve been struggling to advance to the Azure Essence stage of the Embryonic Breathing Realm these past few years. Without spirit pills, I’m afraid that the Jade or Nascent Spirit stage will be as far as I can reach.”
“Although your second brother is more talented than me, he can’t possibly hold a candle to you. His potential might only lead him to break through to the Qi Cultivation Realm. But with both of us working together, we can uphold the Li Family’s legacy and safeguard our territories, especially with the mirror in our possession.”
Li Xiangping plopped down on the ground and then sighed again.
“Your second brother learned from those at the Cloud Crowned Peak that the Azure Pond Sect is very selective with the disciples they accept from the clans under their governance. They must be able to break through to the Qi Cultivation Realm, with some to the Foundation Establishment stage.”
He looked at Li Chejing and added, “Your second brother and I can afford to die, but not you.”
Hearing Li Xiangping’s words, Li Chejing felt a surge of emotion that brought tears to his eyes.
“The family will be fine. Don’t worry about us, Third Brother. I’ll do my best to get more resources for us from the sect,” he said quietly.