Li Yuexiang listened to her brother's words, but there was no joy on her face. She had more concerns on her mind and simply murmured softly, "I don’t feel wronged, but I fear that offending them too deeply may stir up trouble."
Li Xijun gently shook his head and replied: "There is no longer any question of offense. All the noble families have their eyes set on profit, and the Yuan Family has already lost its moral standing."
Li Yuexiang nodded slightly. Meanwhile, Li Xijun unfolded the small letter in his hand and read through it, then said softly, "Go and make preparations. Brother Xizhi will return in a few days to take you to Green Pine Island... His cave dwelling still has vacant spots. It will be beneficial for you to cultivate there."
Only then did Li Yuexiang nodded lightly, revealing a trace of happiness. Li Xijun did not wish to say more, so he dismissed them. After listening to the reports from below, he smiled and left the hall. He made his way through the corridor and quickly arrived at the Alchemy Pavilion.
Li Ximing, clad in a Daoist alchemist robe, sat leisurely in the hall. His garments were fresh and crisp, with a faint paleness to them. Having just broken through to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment Realm, he was basking in the triumph of success.
Li Xijun knew him all too well. Though he appeared composed, he was undoubtedly overjoyed inside. Playing along, Li Xijun strode up quickly and exclaimed in surprise, "That was fast, Brother Ximing! Was it a smooth breakthrough?"
Li Ximing chuckled happily, tightening his sleeve cuffs as he replied, "Since I took a medicinal pill, the breakthrough was effortless. I spent some time conditioning myself to stabilize my cultivation before coming out."
He was brimming with excitement and was about to go into detail when he suddenly scanned Li Xijun up and down, his expression shifting to one of surprise and delight. He exclaimed, "You’ve reached the Foundation Establishment Realm!"
Li Xijun allowed a small smile to surface and nodded slightly. Li Ximing immediately stood up and clapped him on the shoulder with a grin, saying, "What a fine snow-pine mana!"
Li Xijun nodded lightly, waiting for him to calm down before saying, "There’s something I need to discuss with you."
Li Ximing listened as Li Xijun relayed Li Xuanfeng’s words, his brows knitting together in thought. He shook his head slightly and said with questions in his mind, "I don’t see it that way. My cultivation in the Bright Yang path has progressed steadily. I have already surpassed some of the direct disciples of the Immortal Sects. How could I be deemed unfit? Perhaps the elder has grown too accustomed to the high standards of the southern border..."
He suddenly clenched his fist, belatedly realizing something and muttering, "If I had followed the family's arrangements back then, as the elder suggested, perhaps my cultivation wouldn't have progressed much slower after all..."
While Li Ximing mulled over his thoughts, Li Xijun caught sight of a potted orchid on the table from the corner of his eye. Despite being in seclusion for years, it was still flourishing. It indicated that someone had been tending to it carefully.
His eyes flickered as he turned his head to the other side, gazing at the alchemy furnace. The flames inside flickered unpredictably, while the world outside was engulfed in a raging storm. Li Ximing, unaware of why Li Xijun's expression had changed, looked on in confusion.
Li Xijun paused before suddenly asking, "Brother Ximing, have you taken a liking to orchids in recent years?"
Li Ximing looked slightly embarrassed and quickly replied, "I just grow them for leisure, it has nothing to do with Zhuoyun!"
As soon as he said it, he realized he had spoken too quickly. But before he could adjust his tone, he saw Li Xijun suddenly frown, gazing at the storm outside and murmuring, "It’s a celestial phenomenon!"
Li Ximing was still trying to form a response, but Li Xijun’s words shut him down. In an instant, Li Xijun vanished. Li Ximing swiftly followed behind. He rode a streak of golden light, and soon stood beside Li Xijun atop Mount Qingdu. Both of them gazed into the southern horizon where a golden radiance shone in the distance.
Their Immortal Foundations Realm rippled gently, allowing them to faintly perceive the rising multicolored light in the distance. Li Ximing sighed enviously and said, "Someone must have broken through to the Purple Mansion Realm!"
The iridescent hues spread swiftly, forming clouds that took the shape of beasts and birds across the sky. They were so lifelike they seemed almost real. At the heart of the vast ocean of clouds, a massive celestial elephant formed from pure white mist trumpeted toward the heavens, radiating golden light in all directions.
The golden radiance rippled outward like waves, causing the vegetation in the mountains to sway gently. Leaves fell like a golden rain, covering the entire mountain in autumn hues. Li Xijun slowly closed his eyes, carefully attuning himself to the rising spiritual energy permeating the heavens and earth.
Li Ximing also paused, realizing what was happening. Both brothers closed their eyes and immersed themselves in the moment. After about fifteen minutes, they exchanged a glance, and Li Ximing said with a sigh, "The Profound Balance Atmosphere... It has already dissipated completely! It’s rare for it to last this long."
Li Xijun carefully observed the direction where the clouds were converging and estimated that it was within the Hengzhu Dao Gate. He murmured, "Hengzhu Dao Gate has gained another Purple Mansion Realm cultivator!"
The two brothers rode the wind back down to the mountain together. Li Ximing said, "I clearly remember that Hengzhu Dao Gate and Yue Cultivating Sect have always had a good relationship. But how can such a breakthrough be controlled at will? A celestial phenomenon of this scale is like an announcement to the entire world and this phenomenon might just be the final surge that drains the remaining spiritual energy of heaven and earth."
Although the Li Family had slowly built some foundation, they still lacked methods to detect phenomena like Profound Balance Atmosphere and Falling Water Rising Storm, which were crucial to understanding the spiritual energy of cultivators at the Purple Mansion Realm. For now, they could only watch helplessly, unsure of how the spiritual energy of heaven and earth had changed.
"We lack the necessary spells. If we hadn’t anticipated a change and paid close attention, we might not have even noticed this subtle shift..." said Li Xijun, sighing.
Beside him, Li Ximing asked, "Why not have our aunt return for a while? If she uses her thunder techniques, she might be able to uncover some clues."
"I don't think it'll be that simple," replied Li Xijun. He had discussed this matter with Li Qinghong before and It seemed that Falling Water Rising Storm had only been perceivable in the past due to its connection to thunder techniques. Now, it would likely be much harder to detect. He continued, "Just send a letter to Brother Xizhi and ask him about it."