Cultivation (2)

Qinglan Academy was not far from Li Mansion. After about the time it took to burn an incense stick, Li Mu arrived before the familiar vermilion-lacquered gates. The two pairs of imposing stone lions beside them still glared with eyes wide open, reminding passersby of the master of this residence's status.

Compared with the other Aristocratic Clan residences in the southern district, Li Mansion was not large. Its building materials were simple and ancient rather than extravagant, and it lacked the gold, silver, treasures, and lavish decorations common to noble clans. It was difficult to imagine that this was a Lineage that had endured for a thousand years, whose current patriarch was also the lord of Qinglan City. Low-key restraint and forbearance seemed to be labels carved into the bones of the Li family over millennia, their trump card for standing firm in this cruel Immortal Realm.

When he pushed open the mansion gates, only one servant came forward to greet him. Li Mu was already accustomed to this. In the Li family of his memories, it had always been this way. There was not a single guard in the entire residence, only a small number of servants and maids responsible for daily necessities and chores. Even among the great Aristocratic Clans of Qinglan City, this was one of a kind.

But anyone who mistook the Li family for shallow-rooted and weak because of this would be gravely mistaken. As a native thousand-year-old family of Qinglan City, the wealth it had accumulated over the years was beyond imagination. That wealth was not merely gold, silver, and treasures, but also martial skills, cultivation arts, weapons, pills, and more. Though there was not a single guard in the mansion, every member of the Li family possessed some degree of cultivation. Even a little maid who appeared timid and submissive could draw her sword at an enemy and strike with a heavy fist at a critical moment.

Over its thousand-year history, the Li family had not gone without attacks. Three hundred years ago, the Li family suffered consecutive losses of many elite descendants in a battle against foreign enemies. After the battle ended, the five peak Aristocratic Clans in the city seized the chance to join forces, intending to swallow the Li family whole. They dispatched ten Nascent Soul Realm cultivators to lead fifty Core Formation Realm cultivators in a night raid on Li Mansion. Everyone believed that night would surely be drenched in blood and swept by foul winds. Yet when the sun rose the next day, the low-key Li Mansion still stood there in silence. Its servants opened the gates as usual and swept the fallen leaves before them, as though nothing had happened. Those sixty experts had simply vanished without a sound or trace.

That eerie scene frightened every Aristocratic Clan in the city out of their wits. From then on, no one dared provoke that ancient family again. Until nearly forty years ago, when a heaven-blessed genius like Li Yubai emerged from the Li family and led Qinglan City's rapid development, firmly securing the seat of city lord, did the low-key Li family once more enter the public eye.

Over the past thousand years, most Aristocratic Clans had risen and fallen in turn, but the Li family alone remained as immovable as a mountain, existing in low-key mystery.

"Second Young Master, you're back? I'll report to the mistress at once."

Ever since Li Mu had entered Qinglan Academy, he had been living in the academy dormitories and had scarcely returned to Li Mansion. On one hand, his soul had lived two lifetimes. Even though he had inherited all of the original Li Mu's memories from his previous life, he was ultimately not the original Li Mu. Living in the residence long-term would make it easy for him to give himself away. On the other hand, he wanted to master the various common-sense knowledge of this Immortal Realm as quickly as possible, so he had chosen to live at the academy.

"Young Master, you've finally returned. Chunxiang thought you didn't want Chunxiang anymore."

As soon as he reached the garden at the heart of the residence, Li Mu felt a fragrant breeze rush toward him. Looking closely, he saw that it was his personal little maid. The young girl was crying so hard that she looked like a pear blossom drenched in rain, clutching Li Mu tightly and refusing to let go no matter how he tried to persuade her.

"You child, going to the academy to study and cultivate seriously is a good thing, but you should at least have written a letter or sent word back. Forget Chunxiang—even I, your aunt, thought you were planning to establish your own Household."

A voice as refreshing as a spring breeze rang out. Liu Ruoying stood with her arms folded, looking at Li Mu, her eyes filled with waves of reproach.

"Aunt, I know I was wrong. It's just that I hadn't cultivated for so many years, and once I got to the academy, I wanted to catch up as quickly as possible. Don't worry, Aunt. I'll definitely come back more often from now on. Oh, right, these are ten boxes of Noble Lady Cream. Production is very limited now, so I specially prepared some for you."

Li Mu hurriedly took a bag of Noble Lady Cream from his person and handed it to Liu Ruoying. Only then did the mistress of the Li family let go of her anger. At the same time, he gave Chunxiang a box of rouge powder, a specialty of Twin Phoenix Tower. The little maid immediately turned her tears into a smile and skipped back to her room to make Li Mu's bed.

"Aunt, when will Father return this time? He has already been in the Imperial Capital for more than half a year to give his report. The time for the trip there and back should have been enough, shouldn't it?"

As he strolled through the residence garden with Liu Ruoying, Li Mu revealed the purpose of his return to his aunt.

"Your father has indeed been gone for a long time this time. Something must have happened during the reporting process. You know that among the thirty eastern cities, only two, including Qinglan City, are autonomous. Every time he gives his report, he faces exclusion and deliberate difficulties from the other city lords. Still, it is nothing to worry about. He should return within the next few days."

The Innate Art was the Li family's inherited supreme art, and Li Yubai was now the family's foremost expert. There could be no better person to ask about the Innate Art. Li Mu could only patiently remain at the residence and wait for his father's return.

Life in Li Mansion was far more relaxed than at the academy. Every morning after he woke and washed up, Chunxiang would bring the prepared breakfast to Li Mu's table. When he practiced swordsmanship in the courtyard, the little maid would sit nearby and watch him in a daze. Whenever he stopped to rest, she would immediately offer him a warm towel and a cup of chilled tea already steeped for him. Living each day with food brought to his mouth and clothes placed upon his hands, Li Mu could not help but sigh. It was hard to go from luxury to frugality. Would he be unaccustomed to it when he returned to the academy?

During those peaceful days, Li Mu carefully sorted through the Simulation System's current state. The Shop System, Talent System, Warehouse System, and Refinement System were the four major systems he could control. However, limited by his insufficient realm, the Shop System and Talent System had not updated for a long time, while the Warehouse System could only serve as a means of spatial storage for now and offered limited help to his cultivation.

Finally, the Refinement System required a large number of idle weapons, magical treasures, cultivation arts, or martial skills before it could show its worth, and its results depended entirely on luck. Li Mu had once considered spending lavishly to purchase equipment from the Shop System, then combining it through the Refinement System. Perhaps luck would grant him a high-grade weapon. But that method could only be described as spending money like dirt. Selling Noble Lady Cream required extensive manpower and consumed enormous amounts of energy and time, making frequent replication utterly impossible. Thus, poverty remained one of the problems Li Mu had to face.

In addition, the Quest System had always been a function Li Mu could not figure out. Its random triggering mechanism truly made it impossible for him to place his hopes on it.

"Ah, I never thought the Simulation System would enter a bottleneck just like my cultivation. Why is my transmigration unlike the protagonists in the webnovels I used to read? This golden finger cheat is far too weak."

Just as Li Mu was still frowning in misery, a sturdy figure entered his courtyard. Clad in red armor and bearing an imposing air, it was none other than Li Yue.

"I heard from Mother that you returned. What is it? Have you encountered a bottleneck in cultivation? Are you waiting for Father to return and guide you?"

Ever since Li Mu had resumed cultivating and gradually made a name for himself at Qinglan Academy, this elder brother, who had never smiled easily around his younger brother, had gradually become gentler. Upon hearing that his younger brother had returned to the residence, he assumed Li Mu had encountered difficulties in cultivation and came to visit him.

"Yes, Big Brother. I've been stuck at the Half-step Core Formation Realm for a long time, and I still don't know how to break through. I also asked Teacher Mu about it. His suggestion was to start with our family's Innate Art, but..."

The more Li Mu spoke, the more confused he became. He was troubled because he had cultivated diligently every day without the slightest slackness, yet had seen no results. He was puzzled because he had long memorized the second layer's cultivation formula of the Innate Art by heart, but when he circulated it accordingly, the Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi around him gave no response at all, let alone allowing him to form a golden core.

"Our Li family's Innate Art is profoundly mysterious. When I cultivated it before, I also found many parts obscure and difficult to understand. Sometimes, I even doubted whether it was truly a mid-grade Yellow-tier cultivation art. I have now cultivated the second layer to its peak. Once I break through to the third layer, I will truly enter the Nascent Soul Realm."

His brother's situation was basically the same as his own. Both felt that the Innate Art was extremely difficult to cultivate. Although Li Mu had comprehended the first layer of the art through his five-point comprehension talent, he still had no clue how to break through the second layer.

"I broke through the second layer during a bandit-suppression battle. It truly was a moment balanced on the edge between life and death. If Father had not blocked the enemy's One Sword for me, I would have already died."

Between life and death, cultivators found it easiest to break through. But Li Mu could not exactly seek out a powerful enemy just to engage in a life-or-death battle. What if he failed to break through and lost his life first? Li Mu quickly rejected the idea of following the same gourd and painting the same dipper.

"I heard that you have also dabbled in alchemy at the academy. Since cultivation has reached a bottleneck, why not seek inspiration through alchemy? Throughout the history of cultivation, there have been quite a few examples of people using this method to comprehend their realm and enter the Dao."

After pondering for a moment, Li Yue proposed an unusual plan. Alchemy required calmness and absolute concentration. This path was divided into mortal and immortal grades, each further divided into nine grades. Li Mu's current level was that of a mortal-grade Grade One Alchemist.

"Alchemy... Now that you mention it, Big Brother, it really is something I could try. When I refine pills, my attention is always extremely focused. Sometimes, I even enter meditation. If I can make a breakthrough in alchemy, perhaps I truly will be able to better control the Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi within my body."

Having found a method worth trying, Li Mu's excitement overflowed from his face. Though he did not know whether it would succeed, it was still better than cultivating fruitlessly every day. After seeing Li Yue off, Li Mu began considering how he could advance further in the art of alchemy.