Departure

Once the Snake Dragon Fruit had completely dissolved in the furnace, melting into a crimson medicinal liquid that floated above the pill fire, Xiao Yuansi took out several auxiliary ingredients and added them to the furnace one by one.

He then refined them continuously with pill fire. After about an hour, the thin mountain mist had scattered and every drop of dew had evaporated before eight pale-red spirit pills emerged from the furnace's mouth.

Xiao Yuansi formed a hand seal, and the eight pills immediately flew up, landing in his palm, which glimmered with white light. He took out eight small white-jade bottles and placed the pills into them one by one. He kept two bottles for himself and handed the rest to Li Xiangping and the other, explaining, "These Snake Essence Pills must likewise be kept in jade bottles. Store them carefully, and only remove the wooden stopper when taking one. If they are not sealed tightly, their medicinal potency will gradually disperse, wasting an entire pill for nothing."

"If sealed properly, these pills can last around twenty years, so there is no need to worry."

Li Xiangping and the other naturally agreed and carefully accepted them. Only then did Li Tongya exchange a glance with Li Xiangping, take out three bottles of Snake Essence Pills, and say:

"Please ask Immortal Master to bring these three bottles of spirit pills to my younger brother, so that he may cultivate diligently."

"Indeed. Your Li Clan values sentiment. Yuansi will certainly deliver them."

Xiao Yuansi nodded approvingly and put away the three jade bottles. Cupping his hands, he said with some feeling, "The Li Clan has only entered the immortal path for a few years, so its foundations are still somewhat shallow. Someone must inherit the clan's arts of pill refinement, formations, and artifact forging. You must also bring more people with spirit apertures into the clan. Only then will you avoid vanishing after a few generations... There are no powerful cultivation families along Li Xia Road or Gu Li Road, so the Li Clan must seize this opportunity well."

"For hundreds of years, who knew how many families in Li Xia County had suddenly risen, only to hurriedly fade away a few generations later? As a great family of this county, my Xiao Family has watched countless feasts begin and end, countless towers rise and fall. The Li Clan must strive all the harder..."

Xiao Yuansi's words came from the bottom of his heart, and Li Tongya could not help but be moved. He sighed deeply. "Immortal Master speaks truly. My brother and I started from nothing. Now there are only twenty or thirty Li descendants, while the collateral Ye Family barely numbers two or three hundred. Jing Er cultivates alone in the sect, yet we cannot provide him with much in the way of cultivation resources."

Seeing Li Tongya sigh without end, Xiao Yuansi frowned slightly and said softly:

"My attainments in pill refinement were passed down from within the sect, and I have sworn the Profound Realm Spirit Oath. The formula for the Snake Essence Pill cannot be passed on either. You may try searching the markets; perhaps you will find something."

Hearing this, Li Xiangping, who had been waiting beside them for some time, hurriedly asked:

"May I ask, Immortal Master, this Profound Realm Spirit Oath..."

Xiao Yuansi paused, then explained:

"Within clans and sects alike, the Profound Realm Spirit Oath is used to secretly pass down cultivation arts. The caster swears upon the Profound Scene Wheel; the oath arises with the heart. Should one violate it, the Profound Scene shatters, and all one's cultivation pours out like flowing water. Within a quarter of an hour, one regresses into an ordinary mortal, with qi exhausted and spirit spent, dying in answer to the oath."

"This Profound Realm Spirit Oath would be of great use in preserving inheritances. I wonder what its price—"

Li Tongya hurriedly continued, but Xiao Yuansi waved a hand to cut him off. "It is merely a worthless little trick. Everyone knows it. I will write it down for you."

So he took the paper and brush, swept the brush across the page, and finished in the time it took to drink a cup of tea. He reminded them softly, "There is one thing you must note. This spirit oath is not the radiant Heavenly Dao, seeing through all things. It is useful for keeping cultivation arts or secrets confidential, but if you mean to prevent the other party from harboring evil intentions, it is of little use."

"After all, even the Heavenly Dao finds it difficult to distinguish human goodness from evil. What can a mere spirit oath understand?"

"Many thanks for Immortal Master's guidance! My Li Clan will remember this kindness!"

The two hurriedly gave their thanks. At last, the great stone Li Xiangping had long kept in his heart fell to the ground, and he felt much lighter. He secretly thought, With this Profound Realm Spirit Oath, the final link has been filled. Once those two children cultivate the Profound Scene Wheel and swear the oath, we can use them without worry.

Xiao Yuansi accepted the reply letter Li Xiangping offered him, put away the Pill Furnace, summoned his Flying Shuttle, and said with a light laugh:

"My junior brother has good talent for cultivation. His innate bones can only be called average, but his talent in the path of the sword is outstanding. You need not worry."

"Everyone, if fate wills it, we shall meet again!"

With that, he rode the Flying Shuttle into the air and departed amid the two men's thanks.

After Xiao Yuansi had gone far away, Li Xiangping carefully tucked the remaining three bottles of pills into his robes and smiled at Li Tongya.

"Jing Er truly has a fine Senior Brother."

Li Tongya nodded. As he read and memorized the Profound Realm Spirit Oath, he handed the Jade Slip to Li Xiangping, signaling for him to take a look.

Li Xiangping hurriedly accepted the Jade Slip and gently unfolded it. Seeing the densely packed Tiny Characters upon it, he froze. He barely managed to read several dozen words before staring wide-eyed and muttering, "And this is called not difficult?"

Li Xuanxuan was absent-minded during class, staring blankly at Han Wenxu, who spoke fluently from the front.

Han Wenxu was nearly fifty years old, and white hair had gradually crept across his temples. When he was in his twenties, he had been an apprentice at a pharmacy in the county. In a fit of rage, he killed someone and had no choice but to flee into Great Li Mountain to hide. For over twenty years, he had treated the villagers' ailments and taught the children their lessons, living a life that was fairly rich in flavor.

Looking at the children below who were studying earnestly, Han Wenxu's face gained a trace of a smile. He had never had children of his own, yet he had raised the Li Clan's children. These children who had grown up in his school were no different from his own nephews and nieces.

"Hmm? Mist?"

Han Wenxu looked at the thin layer of fog around his feet and thought uneasily, Why would mist rise at a time like this...

The drowsy Li Xuanxuan below had sharp eyes. He jolted awake at once, tugged the sleeve of Li Xiewen beside him, who was similarly half-asleep, and whispered, "Wen, look outside the window."

Li Xiewen hurriedly looked over and saw layer upon layer of gray mist emerging outside. Unease rose in him as he answered softly, "Brother, what is going on?"

"This mist is far too strange. The adults from our family are at the mountaintop. You and I should tell Teacher and go up the mountain together to inform them."

Li Xuanxuan was not yet six, but he already spoke with the bearing of an eight- or nine-year-old child. His little brows furrowed as he spoke gravely.

As Li Xuanxuan spoke, he saw his granduncle Liu Linfeng enter the schoolhouse and quietly say something to Han Wenxu. Han Wenxu immediately nodded and announced:

"Children, pack up your clothes and bedding. School is dismissed for the next three days, effective immediately."

The two exchanged a glance, then hurried to pack their clothes and bedding amid the children's cheers.

After informing Han Wenxu, Liu Linfeng sat on the Steps before the house and waited for the children. Before long, his mouth felt itchy, and he reached into his robes for his pipe.

When he looked up, he vaguely noticed a furtive figure in the mist, crouching amid the trees and secretly peering about.

Liu Linfeng was so frightened that he sprang up from the ground. His treasured pipe struck the ground and its stem snapped clean off. He had no time to mourn it, only trembling as he shouted, "Who is it?!"