Five years passed as swiftly as an arrow flying through the woods. Lijing Village had turned into Lijing Town. The prominent Liu, Chen, and Xu families, enticed by the proximity to the immortal mountain, had relocated their clans, deeming it a blessed reward.
Li Xuanxuan, now sporting a mustache over his upper lip, had attained the Azure Essence Stage of the Embryonic Breathing Realm.
Appointed by Li Xiangping as the chief of their clan, his youthful demeanor had shed its gentleness, replaced instead by a mature composure that commanded respect and fear from the children of the Li Family.
Yet, the talk of Lijing Town revolved around twelve-year-old Li Xuanfeng. The boy had effortlessly broken six bows in the academy while laughing maniacally. Each time, he would cast aside the broken bow and yell, “Another one!”
He held his head high, laughing heartily and paying little heed to the terrified gazes of the clan soldiers guarding him. With a bow in hand, he could strike down any bird or beast with ease.
Li Tongya could only smile wryly as he returned from Cloud Crowned Peak, bearing a sturdy, dark longbow for Li Xuanfeng. While lacking any special features beyond its resilience and endurance, it was enough to grant Li Xuanfeng the satisfaction he craved.
In his early teens, Li Xuanling had been assessed and determined to possess no spiritual orifice. As Li Tongya’s eldest and only son, he naturally received the Profound Pearl Talisman Seed.
Trailing behind Li Xuanfeng along River Meiche with a worried look on his face and seeing the older boy sneakily peering from behind a rock, he asked in a hushed tone, “What are you up to, Brother Feng’er?”
“Look!”
With a wicked grin, Li Xuanfeng nudged Li Xuanling forward. The younger boy stumbled forward and accidentally caught sight of the supple shoulders and bubbly butt of a woman bathing in the river.
Startled, Li Xuanling covered his mouth in shock and retreated. He glared at Li Xuanfeng and hissed, “You’re horrible, Li Xuanfeng!”
Li Xuanfeng watched Li Xuanling’s flushed face in amusement and quietly asked, “Did you enjoy the view?”
“Not really,” Li Xuanling replied, greatly disappointing the older boy who was expecting to hear something positive out of Li Xuanling’s mouth.
He indignantly swatted the younger boy’s rear and muttered under his breath, “What does a kid like you know?”
“Li Xuanfeng, you have too much time on your hands.” Li Xuanling shook his head, his small face turning serious as he asked, “Have you broken through to the third stage of the Embryonic Breathing Realm?”
Li Xuanfeng grinned and enthusiastically replied, “I’m already in the fourth stage.”
A look of surprise appeared on Li Xuanling’s face as he asked incredulously, “You’ve already caught up with Brother Xuan’er?”
Li Xuanfeng nodded casually, his smile unwavering as he affirmed, “Of course. Look at this.”
Pulling out the large dark bow from behind his back, he placed his left foot on a rock and then expertly drew his bow. As soon as he did, his demeanor changed significantly. Shedding his previous debauchery, he exuded an aura of sharpness that seemed to cut through bone. Li Xuanling could not help but tense up.
Li Xuanfeng aimed his bow at Li Xuanling. Even without an arrow nocked, the younger boy still felt a chill run down his spine. The cold wind felt like a blade against his face, and his ears buzzed from the tension.
“Amazing.” Li Xuanling gulped, stepping away cautiously as he watched Li Xuanfeng remain focused on aiming with his bow. The sharp aura emanating from him intensified, causing the nearby shrubs to shake in response.
Li Xuanling’s eyes widened in astonishment but noticed the quiver at Li Xuanfeng’s waist gently vibrating. He blinked and hastily rubbed his eyes, but upon looking again, he realized that every arrow in the quiver was trembling, as if in anticipation of something remarkable.
“Catch!”
Li Xuanfeng suddenly released the bowstring, causing a nearby tree to explode with a deafening bang. Wood chips scattered, and a big hole appeared in the trunk before it collapsed to the ground, startling a flock of birds into flight.
“Brother, are you currently cultivating qi?” Li Xuanling whispered in awe.
“What nonsense are you talking about?!” Li Xuanfeng took a few deep breaths, his face slightly flushed as he replied, “This is just a bow technique I developed using the spirit orifice on the palm and coordinating it with arrow intent when drawing the bow and shooting. It’s not that complex.”
Li Xuanling shook his head silently, but before he could respond, an awkward look appeared on Li Xuanfeng’s face. He grabbed the younger boy’s hand and took off running at lightning speed.
“Those scoundrels were peeping while I was bathing!”
Upon hearing the shouting from behind them, Li Xuanling’s face went pale. He moved his legs faster and exclaimed in terror, “That was Aunt Xu who lives near the village entrance? Li Xuanfeng! Y-Y-Y-You...”
Li Xuanfeng laughed awkwardly and whispered, “I was just curious...”
————
On Moongaze Lake...
Li Tongya gently stepped on the water, hovering in the air. The clear and transparent River True Essence gushed out along the light gray longsword in his hand, forming pulsating sword auras.
Standing quietly in midair and performing a series of hand seals, he lowered his head and watched the large, scaly beast circling in the water.
Crimson blood slowly spread in the river as the beast struggled, causing the water’s surface to shimmer with its movement. Dozens of transparent air blades sliced through the air, all aimed at Li Tongya.
Li Tongya stepped forward, skillfully dodging most of the river beast’s attacks. The shimmering water around his body flickered, blocking two of the air blades that came at him.
"The Pure Qi Shield of this River One Qi Technique is quite reliable. This river beast doesn’t seem to know any technique. It just expends its mana thoughtlessly. Although it has spent a huge amount of it, it still couldn’t break my shield.”
This River Crocodile had received no legacy. It simply cultivated brainlessly until it reached the peak of the Embryonic Breathing Realm. After who knew how many years of cultivation, it had managed to condense a small amount of Minor Pure Spiritual Qi and advanced to the Qi Cultivation Realm.
Seeing that its attack was ineffective, the River Crocodile hastily dived and rushed upstream against the current, with Li Tongya naturally following closely behind.
Two years ago, Li Tongya had broken through to the first heavenly layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm. He had intended to kill a demon of the same realm to perform the sacrificial ritual for his mirror.
After searching the mountains for over a year, he realized that demons were either cunning or resilient, and it was not easy to find an opportunity. Therefore, when he stumbled upon this dumb River Crocodile, he was determined to not let it escape so easily.
Although the Qi Cultivation Realm allowed him to walk on air, his speed still paled in comparison to that of a flying shuttle. Nevertheless, he was about thirty or forty percent faster than a creature of the peak Embryonic Breathing Realm running at full speed.
Hence, the River Crocodile, already wounded from his ambush earlier, could not get far before Li Tongya caught up to it.
The Profound Water Sword Technique proved to be quite compatible with the River One Qi Technique , as the sword light he conjured out of thin air gained a noticeable increase in power, much to Li Tongya’s delight.
The two light-colored sword qi struck the back of the River Crocodile, causing it to writhe in pain.
Concerned about a potential counterattack in its death throes, Li Tongya cautiously followed behind, occasionally swinging his sword to further drain the River Crocodile’s strength.
Finally, the River Crocodile could endure no longer. With an angry hiss, it burst from the water, aiming to bite at Li Tongya in midair.
Reacting swiftly, Li Tongya brought his sword down on the demonic creature’s back before retreating to maintain a safe distance while he continued inflicting wounds on it.
After an hour of intense struggle, the River Crocodile finally collapsed on the shore. Instead of killing the creature, Li Tongya channeled River True Essence into it to lock its vitality and cultivation.
Satisfied that the River Crocodile was still alive, Li Tongya grasped the tip of its tail and began the journey back to the village, dragging the creature behind him like it was a small mountain.