Great Vessel

Great Li Mountain's northern foothills gradually regained their spiritual vigor, and demons multiplied along with it. Li Tongya had only been gone for two months when a Bear Demon appeared at Li Daokou. Fortunately, it was only at the Profound Scene Wheel realm. Li Xiangping was but one step away from breaking through to the Azure Origin Wheel. He gathered the village men, drew their bows, and shot several streaks of golden light, swiftly dealing with the demon.

On one hand, he had to organize men to haul the demon to the Wan Family and sell it on to Wan Xiaohua; on the other, he had to plan the reconstruction of the streets damaged by the demon. Li Xiangping was overwhelmed with work and had not returned to Li Jing Mountain for several days.

His mother, Liu Shi, Tian Yun, and Ren Shi were in the main courtyard caring for Xiao Xuanfeng and Jing Tian. Li Xuanxuan had attained the Profound Scene Wheel realm and, overjoyed, had gone down the mountain with his third uncle to slay demons a few days ago, leaving Li Mutian alone in the Backyard once more.

The old man could not sit idle. He had made a set of furniture himself and placed it outside the room where the Stone Platform stood. Every day, he sat guard at the doorway, watching the sharp spring wind whirl through the courtyard.

Li Mutian was nearly seventy. The injuries he had sustained in his youth continually throbbed faintly through his body. Farmers grew quickly and aged quickly; now his beard and hair were both white, and his vigor was far from what it had once been. Sitting in the courtyard, he still worried over his two children far from home and pondered the affairs of the household.

"Xiangping and Tongya are both reassuring children. They can bring prosperity to my Li Clan. But Jing Er is ten thousand miles from home. The depths of that immortal sect are unknown, and he has no one to support him. I wonder how he is doing now."

The old man stroked his white beard and hair, then turned to look at the Mirror Fragment atop the Stone Platform. He muttered to himself, "When one prospers, all prosper; when one suffers, all suffer."

Crown Cloud Peak of the Xiao Family was shrouded in clouds and mist. Pale white fog concealed the small courtyards so thoroughly that, it was said, even Spiritual Sense could not penetrate it. Li Tongya and Wan Yuankai followed the Xiao Family servant ahead for some time before arriving at a level stretch atop the mountain.

"Judging by the distance we've covered, Crown Cloud Peak is not much taller than Li Jing Mountain."

Li Tongya pondered this silently. He saw a large courtyard on the mountaintop, where around thirty or forty people stood. All were draped in fine silks and dressed splendidly, discussing something in hushed groups of two or three. Everyone stood except for an old man seated calmly in the place of honor, his head lowered as he read a book.

"That old man is Xiao Chuting, the Xiao Family's patriarch—a genuine Foundation Establishment senior!"

Hearing Wan Yuankai speak in a low voice, Li Tongya quickly shifted his gaze away, afraid of offending the man by accident.

"Senior Xiao's life is quite legendary. More than a century ago, the Xiao Family was only at the bottom of the heap in the county. Then their clan head, who was at the Qi Refining Peak, went out and died at the hands of demons. Senior Xiao took command in a moment of crisis, propped up the falling tide, and relied on his exceptional alchemy to keep the Xiao Family afloat. Not long afterward, he forged an Immortal Foundation and raised the Xiao Family to the rank of an aristocratic clan."

Wan Yuankai quietly explained as he surveyed the people in the courtyard. Suddenly, his eyes brightened. He stepped forward several paces and said respectfully:

"Brother Lu! It has been a long time. How have you been lately?"

The man wore a stone-green embroidered cloak. His forehead was broad, and he ought to have had an honest-looking face, yet it was filled with arrogance. He frowned at Wan Yuankai and said:

"Mm. So it's Brother Yuankai."

Wan Yuankai froze, then gave two blank laughs. Seeing the gray Brocade Pouch hanging at the man's waist, he was immediately astonished. The Lu Family is this wealthy now? They can equip him with a Storage Bag—could it be...

Wan Yuankai's expression abruptly changed. "Fellow Daoist, have you already broken through to the Qi Refining realm?"

"Indeed. My family happened to have a portion of Lesser Pure Spiritual Qi."

The man nodded faintly and swept a glance over the surrounding crowd. Seeing people turn to look at him, he could not help lifting his chin.

"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist."

Wan Yuankai's face was somewhat pale as he offered his quiet congratulations. "Then your esteemed clan has two Qi Refining cultivators now."

After chatting with the Lu cultivator for a few more lines, Wan Yuankai saw that the man was plainly dismissive of him and returned with an ugly expression.

Li Tongya knew of this Lu Family. Beyond the Wan Family's territory lay the Lu Family's lands. Wan Yuankai had once said that the Lu Family also had a Qi Refining cultivator, and there had been much envy in his voice.

"How did the Lu Family produce another Qi Refining cultivator?"

Wan Yuankai complained beside Li Tongya for a while, then said with a bitter smile:

"This Lu Pingyuan once visited my Wan Family and provided some resources to help us fend off the Ji Family. At that time, he was only at the Jade Capital Wheel realm, yet now he has already reached Qi Refining!"

"This Lesser Pure Spiritual Qi..."

"It sounds impressive! It is merely Spiritual Qi gathered through ordinary breathing exercises in the mountains. If one diligently breathes and cultivates for seven or eight years, it can be formed. It is nothing but a common roadside good—eight out of every ten Qi Refining cultivators use Lesser Pure Spiritual Qi!"

Wan Yuankai's words were filled with disdain, as though he wished to vent every grievance he had just suffered, yet in his heart he was clearly envious to death.

The two were conversing quietly when a brilliant swath of rosy light slowly rose in the east. The cultivators around them all raised their heads, discussing it in small groups.

"What a grand display."

"So this is the Radiance Cloud Ship?"

The rosy light in the east slowly approached and revealed its true form: a cloud ship borne on golden rosy light, with a pair of cloud-like wings on either side. It tore through layer after layer of mist and docked atop the mountain within a few breaths.

"Welcome, emissary of the immortal sect!"

The cultivators atop the mountain all bowed in salute. Even Xiao Chuting rose to greet them.

Several streams of azure light drifted down from the Radiance Cloud Ship and landed atop the mountain, revealing a woman in a long jade-green dress and dark blue cloak. Her face was veiled, its features indistinct through the haze, and several immortal sect servants dressed in plain azure robes followed behind her.

Xiao Chuting stepped forward and said with a smile:

"Greetings, emissary."

"Senior, there is no need for such courtesy!"

The Immortal Fairy's voice was clear, lilting, and gentle, carrying an immediate air of nobility.

"Then this old man shall not delay matters. These are the Xiao Family's offerings for this year."

Xiao Chuting chuckled softly and waved his hand. The Xiao Family members below immediately began carrying things into the front courtyard. Bag after bag of Spirit Rice was piled in the courtyard, amounting to no less than several thousand jin. There were also more than ten chests of various Spirit Objects, all opened for display.

"Five thousand jin of Purple Jade Spirit Rice are all here. The various Spirit Objects of the county have been provided in full according to the quotas of previous years. Immortal Fairy, please feel free to inspect them."

"There is no need. I trust the Xiao Family's reputation."

Ning Wan shook her head and replied softly.

Xiao Chuting cupped his hands. The people below immediately shouldered the Spirit Objects and Spirit Rice and carried them aboard the ship. An ordinary Storage Bag naturally could not hold five or six thousand jin of Spirit Objects, which was why this Radiance Cloud Ship had been dispatched.

The various families below hurriedly followed, handing their offered Spirit Objects to the immortal sect servants and reporting their names one by one.

"Southern County Wu Family."

"Tiaoyun Lu Family."

"Huaqian Wan Family."

"Li Jing Li Family."

Wan Yuankai and Li Tongya stepped forward together and handed their offerings to the servant. This year, the Li Clan offered ten White Essence Fruits and two hundred jin of Spirit Rice. Seeing the remaining ninety jin of Spirit Rice and five White Essence Fruits, Li Tongya's heart ached bitterly. Then he suddenly heard a clear, lilting voice at his ear:

"You are from the Li Jing Li Family?"