Transmitting the Method

"Several months ago, I secretly tested your bone structure."

Li Xiangping paused for a few breaths, turned to look at Li Xuanxuan below, whose face was full of excitement and expectation, then spoke again:

"There is no Spirit Aperture in your Qi Sea."

Li Xuanxuan felt as though a bolt from the blue had struck him. His mind went blank, bitterness surged into his heart, and his eyes reddened. His lips pressed tightly together, leaving him looking utterly unable to accept it.

He knew little of just how rare Spirit Apertures were in the world. He only felt that although there were not even enough cultivators in the entire village to count on One Palm, both elders of his family were cultivators, and even a collateral branch had produced Li Qiuyang. No matter how poor his talent was, he should at least have had a Spirit Aperture.

Yet now he had learned that he was Without Aperture, that he would be nothing more than a mortal for the rest of his life. His heart immediately sank into darkness, and his eyes gradually moistened.

"This Mirror Fragment is a treasure I picked up while catching fish in the river as a child."

Li Xiangping pointed at the blue-gray Mirror Fragment on the Stone Platform. Seeing Li Xuanxuan's expression, he gently rubbed his head and chuckled softly. "Do you know what wondrous use it has?"

Holding back his tears, Li Xuanxuan answered earnestly, "Xuan Xuan does not know."

"Its wondrous use is that even those Without Aperture can cultivate."

Li Xuanxuan froze upon hearing this. He stared blankly at Li Xiangping's face, and hope as brilliant as the sun suddenly rose in his heart. Unable to keep from laughing through his tears, he said in a choked voice:

"Third Uncle is teasing me on purpose."

But when he saw Li Xiangping's half-smiling expression, Li Xuanxuan thought carefully for a moment, then shuddered coldly and blurted out:

"Could it be..."

"That's right."

Li Xiangping nodded and said solemnly:

"Your father is Without Aperture. Your Second Uncle and Third Uncle are also Without Aperture. Even your Fourth Uncle, Li Chijing, who cultivates in an immortal sect, has no Spirit Aperture either."

"The rise of our Li Clan rests entirely upon this Mirror Fragment. Without it, you and I would both be mere peasants tilling the fields!"

The news struck Li Xuanxuan dumb. He felt the world spin around him and said hoarsely:

"Simply picking up a Mirror Fragment from the river turned our family from mortals into immortals?"

"Precisely! This Mirror Fragment can refine moonlight and grant people Mystic Pearl Talisman Seeds. It is far too miraculous. Once this secret leaks, our Li Clan will surely be reduced to ashes!"

Li Xiangping gave him this warning. Seeing Li Xuanxuan's shocked appearance, he could not help pausing.

Yet Li Xuanxuan muttered to himself, answering with urgency and sudden understanding, "So that's how it is! So that's how it is! No wonder Grandfather always kept silent whenever I asked about Foundation Establishment. Our family's three Spirit Apertures were not because Grandfather had once reached Foundation Establishment, but because of this treasure!"

"Just now, Third Uncle stopped Li Qiuyang from touching me to conceal the secret that I am Without Aperture. When those Liu Family members ascended the mountain without permission, our family killed them at once—not because Third Uncle was cruel, but because Third Uncle was afraid..."

The more Li Xuanxuan thought, the colder his spine became. Sweat covered his forehead as he clasped his hands toward Li Xiangping and said:

"People all say Third Uncle is fierce and suspicious, but they have misunderstood you, Third Uncle! With our Li Clan safeguarding such a treasure, how could we not be wary of others?"

Li Xiangping was stunned as well. He stared blankly at Li Xuanxuan before him, feeling that this child was entirely different from the one in his memories. He could not help looking at him a few more times before asking softly:

"Then why did I tell Li Qiuyang that you were about to form the Profound Scene Wheel?"

Li Xuanxuan stroked his chin, considered for a few breaths, and answered, "This Mirror Fragment must have the effect of achieving twice the result with half the effort when forming the Profound Scene Wheel! Third Uncle feared Li Qiuyang would grow suspicious, so he claimed that I had begun cultivating several months ago."

"Good!"

Li Xiangping nodded in satisfaction and patted his shoulder.

"Worthy of being a child of our Li Clan. Following behind your grandfather every day, you have learned quite a few things!"

After saying this, he bent down and lightly tapped the base of the Stone Platform. He took out a Wooden Slip from its side and placed it in Li Xuanxuan's hands. Only after watching Li Xuanxuan receive it respectfully did he explain in a low voice:

"This secret art is called the Guidance Method. It is a wondrous method for guiding in the Mystic Pearl Talisman Seed. Spend this month reading it carefully in this courtyard. On the Winter Solstice, you may be granted the Talisman Seed. Usually, sleep in the side room next door. I will have someone bring you meals."

"Yes."

Li Xuanxuan nodded heavily. He watched Li Xiangping close the door, listened as his footsteps gradually faded away, then lowered his head and began reading carefully.

"...Father is in good health. Second Brother has already achieved the Circulating Path. Three Snake Essence Pills are enclosed with this letter. I hope Jing Er cultivates diligently and reaches Qi Refinement soon. Everything at home is well. Do not worry!"

Li Chijing carefully put away the letter in his hand and wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes. He meticulously arranged the three bottles of Snake Essence Pills on the shelf, then turned to thank Xiao Yuansi. "Many thanks, Senior Brother! My family has received so much of your kindness. Jing Er's gratitude is beyond measure."

"What are you saying!"

Xiao Yuansi shook his head and said:

"Fellow disciples are family to one another. There is no need to be so polite."

Li Chijing nodded gently and said quietly:

"With these Snake Essence Pills, together with the Clarity Spirit Powder bestowed by Master, I am already ninety percent certain that I can condense the Jade Capital Wheel."

After thinking for a few breaths, Li Chijing asked softly, "Master once said that to enter Qi Refinement from Embryonic Breath, one must first swallow a breath of heaven-and-earth spiritual qi. Are there any crucial points to this?"

Xiao Yuansi lifted his teacup and took a sip, moistening his throat before explaining, "For Qi Refinement, you must first draw in a breath of heaven-and-earth spiritual qi. This qi may be Lesser Pure Spiritual Qi refined from mountain spiritual qi, Earth Vein Evil Qi refined from Earth Vein Evil Qi, or Morning Haze Colored Qi formed by gathering rosy haze and refining mist..."

"In short, it is best for this breath of qi to suit your cultivation art. Only then can it be pure and abundant, forming the foundation of dharma power. Ninety-nine out of a hundred Rogue Cultivators beyond the mountains use Lesser Pure Spiritual Qi refined from mountain spiritual qi. It is compatible with all kinds of cultivation arts, yet has neither particular strengths nor weaknesses."

"Oh?"

Li Chijing immediately grew curious upon hearing this and hurriedly asked, "What Qi Refinement cultivation art would be best for my family's cultivation art to convert to? And what kind of heaven-and-earth spiritual qi would we need?"

"Though I do not know your family's cultivation art, I can see that your dharma power is clear and limpid. There are quite a few Qi Refinement cultivation arts within the sect that would suit your conversion."

Xiao Yuansi smiled. As he set down his teacup, he continued beneath Li Chijing's curious gaze:

"The first is the Primal Pure Rain Control Art, our Green Pool Sect's most renowned supreme art. It uses Rain Intermittent Mist Qi refined from Spirit Mountain Rain Mist. It excels at soaring through clouds and riding mist, parting clouds and commanding rain, meeting enemies with softness."

"The second is the Mountain Yin Forest Mist Art. This art uses Mountain Yin Qi, and few within the sect have managed to cultivate it successfully."

"The third is a considerably difficult cultivation art, called the Moon Lake Reflecting Autumn Art. Since the third master of Moon Lake Peak cultivated this art to completion, no one has ever succeeded again. There may be some hidden key to it, but that person fell more than three hundred years ago, so there is no one left to ask..."

Li Chijing knew that his dharma power was closely tied to moonlight. Hearing this name, joy immediately rose in his heart, but when Xiao Yuansi said that no one had succeeded with it, he froze and hurriedly asked:

"Why is that?"