Mu Jiaoman and the two shamans chased after Li Tongya for some time, cursing loudly before they eventually ceased their chase and retreated with awkward looks on their faces.
Li Tongya managed to glance back and watch Mu Jiaoman and the others leave, a subtle smile playing on his lips.
After channeling his mana throughout his body for just one cycle, the slight discomfort brought on by the curse swiftly vanished. Perplexed and pausing to reflect, he deduced that the leader of Mount Yue had yet to perfect his skills, thereby bringing shame upon himself through his inadequate mastery.
After regulating his breathing to restore his mana, Li Tongya glanced around and then glided close to the ground. The River Pure Qi he had consumed previously rolled in his Qihai acupoint, rendering him weightless and enabling him to move without his feet touching the ground.
“I should return first and see if those two kids are back. If not, I’ll have to infiltrate the stronghold once more.”
Staying close to the ground and moving with deliberate care, Li Tongya flew for an hour. Upon finally sensing the presence of the two disheveled children, Li Xuanling and Li Jingtian, within the range of his spiritual sense, relief washed over him.
Li Xuanling had cast a spell on his leg, causing them to glow in white, as he easily navigated through the forest with Li Jingtian in his arms. He was running so quickly that mud water splattered on his body.
The kid avoided the eastern route toward Mount Lijing, for fear of running into Mu Jiaoman and the others who had failed to pursue Li Tongya. He deliberately picked the further route, which explained why Li Tongya had to spend a long time to locate them.
Li Tongya gently landed before Li Xuanling, his smile broadening upon seeing their astonished expressions. Li Xuanling’s eyes immediately reddened with tears.
Having endured days of being a hostage and forced to face life-and-death situations, Li Xuanling was pent up with frustration. He released Li Jingtian who already had tears streaming down her face and cried out, “Father!”
Li Tongya’s heart clenched at the sight. He embraced his son, soothing him, “There, there, everything’s fine now... It’s our fault as elders for making both of you suffer so much.”
With a sigh, Li Tongya lifted each of his children with one hand and ascended into the sky.
“Jianixi has indeed proven to be a formidable enemy, driving our family to this state. Your third uncle’s escape route had been cut off and he was forced westward. I’ve received no news of him since,” he explained softly.
Recalling the cold message he received on the jade seal from the Azure Pond Sect that read “Endure”, Li Tongya gazed into the fading twilight and murmured, “We can only rely on ourselves and become stronger.”
“Father, I’ve heard that our Family Head has ventured deep into Mount Yue’s territory. Have you already heard about this?” Li Xuanling asked, wiping away his tears as he recalled the information he heard.
Li Tongya hesitated, then reassured him, “Don't worry, your uncle will surely get out of there safely.”
————
Upon Li Tongya’s return to Mount Lijing, he found that Li Xuanfeng was in seclusion. Li Xuanxuan had already managed the village affairs and organized a militia of two to three hundred people to maintain order.
Once Li Tongya put down the two kids, Li Xuanling went to the backyard to return the mirror.
Li Jingtian was extremely exhausted from the entire ordeal. She went to the side courtyard to inform her mother, Tian Yun, that she was back safely, then washed up and retired to bed.
Li Xuanxuan was also relieved to see them back and inquired about news of Li Xiangping. Li Xuanling shared the information he had gathered in the stronghold, but Li Tongya and Li Xuanxuan fell into contemplative silence after listening to him.
It was at this moment that Li Tongya suddenly recalled that Li Xiangping had chosen the Evade Death, Prolong Life option when he received the talisman qi. Feeling slightly at peace, he asked, “Let’s not worry about Xiangping for now. The Misty Maze Formation has been broken, did you manage to retrieve the formation flags?”
Li Xuanxuan quickly produced three formation flags and explained, “When the grand formation was broken, all the six formation flags were scattered about the mountain. I have only managed to recover three of them. The remaining ones were probably taken away by those from Mount Yue.”
“Apart from that, five spirit fields have been plundered. We’ve lost over three hundred jin of Spirit Paddies and more than ten spirit fruits. I’ve arranged for people to replant the fields that were plundered. The overall estimated total loss is around twenty Spirit Stones,” he reported.
Li Tongya nodded in acknowledgment, but Li Xuanxuan continued lamenting, “With the Misty Maze Formation destroyed, Mount Lijing is now left vulnerable without any protection. We don’t have any other formations at home, though.”
“What about Wan Tianchou?” Li Tongya asked as he carefully put away the three formation flags into his storage pouch.
Li Xuanxuan shook his head and answered in disappointment, “The kid’s not a master in that field. He has only learned two formations out of the many formations in the Wan Family’s legacies. Both are small formations of the Embryonic Breathing Realm, suitable for individual protection but not enough to safeguard the mountain.”
Li Tongya, after a moment of reflection, suggested, “Mount Lijing was plundered largely due to our lack of protective formations. Go set up a few small formations that could deter the mortals from coming up here. I plan to spend the next few years gathering River Pure Qi. If Xiangping doesn’t return by then, I’ll sell it and see if it’s possible to bring someone from the Xiao Family here to set up a formation of the Qi Cultivation Realm.”
Li Xuanxuan looked troubled and said, “This would mean wasting Second Uncle’s valuable cultivation time to gather the pure qi...”
“It’s fine,” Li Tongya replied, shaking his head.
“None of you have yet to break through to the fifth stage of the Embryonic Breathing Realm and awaken your spiritual sense. Without it, you cannot gather this pure qi. Moreover, even with a spiritual sense, gathering qi as a cultivator of the Embryonic Breathing Realm is exceedingly slow. We can’t afford to wait eight to ten years.”
“It’s unfortunate that this type of spiritual qi of heaven and earth is very sparse. A vast expanse of reeds can only produce a portion of it over five years,” he added.
Li Xuanxuan nodded in understanding, and Li Tongya continued, “Besides, should another person from our Li Family attain the Qi Cultivation Realm, the Azure Pond Sect will likely issue higher-level spirit seeds and change their demands on the tributes.”
Li Xuanxuan paused briefly before asking, “That means our Li Family needs to increase our tributes, right? I wonder if we can hide this from the sect...”
Li Tongya shook his head and replied, “There’s no need to do that. Delaying two or three decades won’t change the inevitable. It’s not worth it to risk offending the Azure Pond Sect. Although they’ve seemed indifferent about us over the past few years, it’s wise to remain cautious. The Azure Pond Sect’s motives are unclear, and we must be wary of their actions.”
“The Azure Pond Sect sees us as nothing more than livestock!” It was at this moment, they were interrupted by another voice.
Li Xuanfeng strode into the room with a smile on his face. Li Tongya expanded his spiritual sense, then chuckled and asked, “You achieved a breakthrough, huh?”
Li Xuanfeng nodded and answered, “I’ve reached the fifth stage of the Embryonic Breathing Realm and condensed the Jade Capital Chakra! Having a spiritual sense is a truly amazing feeling.”
Li Xuanxuan offered him a congratulatory smile, tinged with envy, and a compliment.
Li Xuanfeng shook his head humbly. He was worried about his father, Li Xiangping, and could hardly feel the joy over his achievement. Carrying his longbow on his back, he declared, “I’ll hunt some demonic creatures nearby to help support our family.”
“Don’t stray too far,” Li Tongya warned.
Although he knew Li Xuanfeng was capable of handling a few demonic creatures around Mount Dali, he was still concerned for his safety.
Li Xuanfeng nodded, then left. Li Tongya returned his attention to Li Xuanxuan and encouraged him, “You must also diligently pursue your cultivation. If you reach the Qi Cultivation Realm stage, it will give me peace of mind.”
“Understood!” Li Xuanxuan nodded vigorously. Just then, they heard a messenger report from outside, “Young Family Head! A visitor from the town has arrived, representing the Lu Family of Mount Tiaoyun from the east!”