"Fruit?"
Li Xiangping raised his head, looking puzzled at Li Qiuyang, who sat crossed-legged.
"Yes..."
Li Qiuyang appeared somewhat anxious, tightly clutching the hem of his clothes. After cultivating for several nights, he had condensed a thread of Spiritual Qi Fetal Breathing and feared that the speed of his progress didn't match what was described in the scroll. Worried that he had deviated in his cultivation, he hastily brought the spell to Li Xiangping for consultation.
Upon hearing about Li Qiuyang's cultivation speed, Li Xiangping was so startled that he examined the Qingyuan Cultivation Method over and over again, pondering it carefully several times.
After a good while, the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Li Xiangping finally raised his head and inquired whether he had eaten anything strange.
Thinking hard, Li Qiuyang suddenly remembered a major event and hurriedly answered:
"Several years ago, a few friends insisted on comparing their courage, agreeing to climb the mountain behind us. In the end, only I made it up the mountain, losing sight of my companions along the way and unwittingly getting lost."
"As I walked, I saw a small tree of vibrant green, with six or seven bright red fruits hanging from it. Those fruits were glowing red, looking extremely tempting."
"I couldn't resist and, foolishly enchanted, picked and ate one of the fruits. I walked down the mountain in a daze and after returning, I slept for three days, worrying my father so much he had many people come to check on me."
Listening to Li Qiuyang finish his story, Li Xiangping couldn't help but be speechless. He patted Li Qiuyang on the shoulder and said:
"Now it seems that in just over a year, you will be able to condense the Xuanjing Wheel."
Seeing the look of hope on Li Qiuyang's face, Li Xiangping continued:
"However, there is another important matter."
Li Qiuyang was immediately taken aback, looking up at Li Xiangping.
"Take us up the mountain to look for that Spirit Root."
————
Li Tongya returned to the small courtyard in Lijing, and just as he stepped over the stone steps at the entrance, he saw Liu Rouxuan obediently sitting in the courtyard, chin propped in her hands, absentmindedly counting the sprouts in the spiritual field.
Seeing Li Tongya enter from the gate, Liu Rouxuan sprang up from the stone bench and hesitantly said with her eyebrows drooping:
"Immortal Master."
"No need to be so formal."
Li Tongya waved his hand, his gaze swiftly glancing over Liu Rouxuan's beautiful features as he smiled and said:
"I am only six or seven years older than you. Just call me Tongya."
Seeing that Li Tongya was easy to talk to, Liu Rouxuan relaxed quite a bit and tentatively said:
"Brother Tongya."
Li Tongya nodded, got up, and took a Wooden Slip from the shelf inside the house, then said to Liu Rouxuan:
"This is a Fetal Breathing Realm spell called 'Qingyuan Cultivation Method'. First, memorize it here in the courtyard, and remember not to disclose it."
"Yes!"
Liu Rouxuan replied joyfully, respectfully taking the Wooden Slip and carefully cradling it in her arms.
"Meals will be delivered to you every day at the hour of the dragon and the hour of the monkey. If you need anything else, you can also tell the person who delivers your meals to have it brought to you."
Li Tongya fetched a teapot, pouring tea as he spoke, filled two small cups, and continued:
"I am not often in this courtyard, but I will come to provide spiritual rain to this Spiritual Field at the hour of the dragon and the hour of the monkey. If you have any questions about your cultivation practice, feel free to ask."
Watching Liu Rouxuan nod repeatedly, Li Tongya smiled, asking softly:
"Have your household belongings and clothes been delivered?"
"It has been delivered," Liu Rouxuan replied.
"Then you can settle down in the east room. Dedicate yourself to your cultivation every day. Do not go out until you've reached the Xuanjing stage. Have you read any books?"
Li Tongya suddenly asked.
"I read some when I was younger and recognize a few characters," she replied.
"Then I won't need to teach you everything. Read it through once, and come to me with questions," he said.
Liu Rouxuan nodded repeatedly, clutching the wooden slip and began to read it word by word.
As Liu Rouxuan buried her head to read the Qingyuan Wheel Nurturing Technique, Li Tongya sipped his tea, thinking to himself disinterestedly:
"Since this child has come to Lijing Village, unfamiliar with life and even confined to this yard, I don't have to worry about the cultivation technique leaking out for the next few years."
Just as he was thinking this, he heard a loud laugh, and someone pushed the door open and entered the courtyard.
"Third brother, how come you are here?"
Li Tongya was somewhat surprised and spoke, but saw Li Qiuyang following behind Li Xiangping, looking nervous.
Li Xiangping told him about the matter of the Spirit Root, and Li Tongya was naturally astounded. He became more cautious about this Li Qiuyang. The two consulted and then, taking Li Yesheng and several strong men from the village, they headed for the back mountain.
The season had already entered deep autumn. The back mountain was desolate and scattered, the leaves flurried about, and the animals, fattened and strong, began to hibernate in preparation for winter.
With an abundance of resources and the vibrant reed swamps, the people of Lijing Village had never shown much interest in the back mountain. Why should they fight with wild beasts in the deep mountains when they could live off the fish and meat provided by the reed swamps?
Therefore, for generations, the people of Lijing Village only relied on the few forests at the foot of the back mountain to collect firewood, using June snow wood for cooking. These shrubs grew quickly and were easy to pick. They only ventured up the mountain to cut timber when building houses.
Thus, the small path up the back mountain was overgrown with thorns and vines. Li Qiuyang could not clearly remember the general path, so the village men took up their axes to clear the way, with Li Xiangping and Li Tongya following behind.
"Second brother, I have some doubts," Li Xiangping said, holding Li Qiuyang's hand and turning his head to look at Li Tongya.
"What is it?"
"You said Si Yuanbai drew a boundary for our family, and beyond this boundary is other people's land. Before the rise of the Li Family, any other family would only need to send a Fetal Breathing Realm cultivator here. Who would dare not obey?"
"Then why, after tilling this land for two hundred years, has not a single cultivator been willing to come here? Do they truly disdain these ordinary people?"
Li Tongya stroked his chin, his expression becoming grave, and said:
"I have pondered this as well. Listening to Si Yuanbai, it seems that this place had no Spirit Mechanism for hundreds of years, therefore there was no cultivator food, and no cultivator wanted to waste time here."
"Second, just beyond here is Da Li Mountain, stretching unceasingly with numerous demons and ghosts among the mountains. Far less comfortable than the County City."
Li Xiangping nodded in agreement, his face turning a bit grim as he spoke softly to Li Tongya:
"Brother, there's an even worse possibility."
"Although the Green Pond Sect is immensely powerful, it only occupies a quarter of Yue Country. Could there be no formidable enemies in the vicinity? I'm afraid that our Li Family is right on the edge of Green Pond's territory!"
"As with two villages fighting over water, naturally, no one is willing to plant crops at the edge. That's the same principle. According to Xu Wenshan, south of here lies Wu Country, and there is constant friction between Yue and Wu. The relationship between the Immortal Sects behind them is probably not much better!"
Li Tongya felt a chill in his heart, and his face also turned somber as he spoke:
"Indeed, we have overlooked this. Tomorrow, I will send people to carefully investigate the surroundings of Lidao and clarify our Li Family's situation. That is the priority."
"I just hope our Li Family is not merely a crop Green Pond Sect casually planted at the edge of its territory."
Li Xiangping let out a wry laugh, but then he heard Li Yesheng calling out ahead, along with several village men drenched in sweat.
"Immortal Master! There's an enormous worm!"