Spirit Rice

Li Tongya only felt as though his heart had skipped a beat. His vision swam, and he hurriedly turned his head to look down at the pale-blue Spirit Rice swaying restlessly in the fields, saying softly:

"You... should wait until you have formed the Profound Scene Wheel before talking about anything else."

Liu Rouxuan giggled and leaned close to Li Tongya's face. Her lovely brows relaxed gently as she whispered into his ear:

"Then, Tongya Ge, don't run off with someone else first..."

Li Tongya's face instantly flushed crimson. He rose with embarrassed indignation and said:

"You should cultivate properly!"

With that, he fled the courtyard as though running for his life and headed into the distance.

Li Tongya walked along the Stone Slab Road for a while and washed his face with river water. Only then did he gradually calm down. He could not help but smile bitterly.

"I'm afraid I've fallen into that girl's hands."

"Second Brother truly has feelings for Liu Rouxuan! Father really was one move ahead on the chessboard!"

Li Xiangping was sitting on the riverbank with a smile, grinning at Li Tongya as he said:

"When Father arranged for you to take Liu Rouxuan with you, Second Brother, you only saw the external measure of governing another place to prevent it from growing too powerful. But those caught in the game are blind to it—you failed to see the internal measure aimed at you, Li Tongya."

"Third Brother, stop laughing at me!"

Li Tongya gave a bitter laugh, shaking his head helplessly as he replied:

"The more I observe Father, the more I feel that there is always something about the Old Man worth learning from."

"Of course!"

Li Xiangping nodded, his expression turning solemn.

"Of the three Snake Essence Pills Xiao Yuansi left behind, I intend to use them when you and I advance to the Jade Capital Wheel, to break through the pass."

"The Mist Maze Array has already had Father and Ye Sheng drip blood onto it. I will personally bring the Law Mirror quietly to the small courtyard on Ascend Mountain. As for the Profound Water Sword Manual... I fear I lack the talent for it, so Second Brother should study it more."

Li Tongya scooped up a handful of river water and washed his hands, replying, "Chi Jing has been at the immortal sect for nearly three years. This first batch of Spirit Rice we planted will soon ripen, and in the days ahead, neither of us will have any leisure."

The snow in Li Jing Village was thicker this year than in previous years. The Spirit Rice in the fields had already ripened, its pale-blue ears wrapping grains of Spirit Rice like white jade, standing stiff and straight in the earth. Even the heavy snow could not bend their stalks and leaves.

This Spirit Rice was nothing like ordinary grain. Its leaves were sharp as blades, and even its stalks had to be cut with axes. Li Tongya and the others attached the Golden Light Art to their sickles before they could finally harvest these Spirit Fields.

Looking at the Spirit Rice piled into bundles of small blue sheaves, Li Qiuyang stamped the snow from his feet, clapped his hands, and said with a smile:

"Xiang Ping, this Spirit Rice really is a pleasing sight."

Li Qiuyang had formed the Profound Scene Wheel last month. He then established the Profound Realm Spirit Oath in the Lineage Ancestral Hall and learned several spells. The child was now ten years old, and as his features had begun to fill out, he looked rather handsome, with a little of an adult's bearing.

He had originally accumulated all eighty-one strands of spiritual power a year ago, but unfortunately fell short at the final step while condensing the Profound Scene Wheel. He had no choice but to regulate his breath and meditate for another year to restore his spiritual power, and Liu Rouxuan had nearly caught up to him.

"Not bad."

Li Xiangping was also all smiles. The spiritual power throughout his body circulated without end; he had already formed the Circulating Movement Wheel.

Tian Yun had been carrying twins, a boy and a girl, and gave the Li Clan a pair of children. It delighted him so much that he could not close his mouth from smiling. The Master looked at the children again and again. Following the Lineage's generational naming, the boy was named Li Xuanfeng, while the girl was named Li Jingtian.

"The White Essence Fruit has not ripened yet, but the Spirit Rice has already been harvested. Let us take it back first."

The village laborers behind them had long since snipped off the Spirit Rice leaves one by one with shears, then tied the stalks with thick ropes. Only then did they dare reach out in pairs to carry them. The Spirit Rice leaves were sharp as knives, and everyone had suffered greatly from them.

When they reached the foot of Li Jing Mountain, thin mist gradually spread through the air. Li Yesheng said gravely to the people behind him, "Keep close! If you get lost in this array, watch out for your little lives!"

The village laborers hastily answered in agreement. They followed the Stone Slab Road up to the mountaintop and placed several bundles of Spirit Rice in the courtyard. Li Xiangping then waved a hand and said, "Take them back down."

Removing the Spirit Rice from the stalks required spiritual power. Then one had to form specialized hand seals to husk and remove the bran, ensuring that the spiritual energy within the rice would not leak away.

All mortals could do during the harvesting of Spirit Rice was cut it with sickles enhanced by the Golden Light Art and carry it away. The truly important steps still needed to be handled by cultivators.

"Third Uncle! Clan Brother!"

Li Xuanxuan emerged from the courtyard and cupped his hands toward Li Qiuyang and Li Xiangping. He was now over seven years old, and his frame was gradually stretching out. His face bore more than a few similarities to the late Li Changhu.

"Xuanxuan, come here."

When Li Xiangping saw Li Xuanxuan heading toward Li Qiuyang, his expression changed. He hurriedly called out to him. Only after Li Xuanxuan sat beside him did he smile and say:

"This child had his Spirit Aperture tested before the New Year. His cultivation has advanced swiftly; I estimate that in a few more months, he will be able to form the Profound Scene Wheel."

Li Xuanxuan was stunned upon hearing this, doubts sprouting in his heart like tangled undergrowth. He secretly pondered, The Lineage clearly never tested my spiritual roots, nor did it pass down any cultivation method to me. What does Third Uncle mean by this...?

Yet he wore a beaming smile and nodded toward the envious Li Qiuyang.

"Xuan'er is truly impressive!"

Li Qiuyang could not help praising him. Thinking of how it had taken him two years to condense the Profound Scene Wheel, he felt somewhat ashamed.

The two chatted for a few sentences. Once Li Tongya came up the mountain, Li Xuanxuan withdrew. The group then spent several hours plucking the Spirit Rice and removing its husks. Li Mutian packed it into separate bags, lifted them lightly, and said:

"One hundred and twenty jin of Spirit Rice, and forty jin of Spirit Rice bran."

"When another harvest comes in two years, it should be enough for the tribute."

After seeing Li Qiuyang off, Li Xiangping placed the two bags of Spirit Rice and bran on the table and examined them. Each grain of Spirit Rice was smooth and beautiful as white jade, drawing a sigh of admiration from him. Only then did he put the rice away in the room and softly say to Li Tongya, "Xuanxuan is seven years old, and his body has settled into shape. It is time for him to cultivate as well."

Li Tongya paused, then nodded thoughtfully and followed Li Xiangping into the room.

Charcoal burned in the room. The Old Man was fond of sleeping in winter, and Li Mutian had already gone to bed early. Only Li Xuanxuan remained in the hall, leaning beside the brazier to warm himself.

Li Xuanxuan stood in the room, watching snowflakes drift down among the mountains. He stared blankly at Li Jing Mountain, clad in silver, and when he saw the two of them, he hastily rose and asked:

"Third Uncle, why did you tell Clan Brother that I have nearly formed the Profound Scene Wheel? If I do not have a Spirit Aperture, would that not make me a laughingstock...?"

Li Xiangping carefully shut the doors and windows, then made a silencing gesture toward Li Xuanxuan and said in a low voice, "Come with me."

Li Xuanxuan immediately fell silent and obediently followed behind Li Xiangping, arriving before a blue-brick, tiled house at the deepest part of the courtyard.

Li Xiangping took out a key, removed the lock from the door, gently pushed it open, and said quietly to Li Xuanxuan:

"Come in."

Seeing Li Xiangping's grave expression, Li Xuanxuan became uneasy as well. The room was quite spacious, with only a bluestone platform placed in its very center. On the platform rested a bluish-gray Mirror Fragment.

Incense burned within the room, its fragrance soothing the heart and refreshing the mind. Li Xuanxuan lowered his gaze toward Li Xiangping, saw him staring silently at the Mirror Fragment, and did not dare speak.