Spring gave way to autumn, cold and heat alternated, and thirteen years flowed past like water.
Xu Xuan was now fifty-five.
A light frost had touched his temples, and time had carved its marks between his brows, yet his bearing grew ever more weighty, like a mountain.
He sat upright in the meditation chamber of his separate estate in Heyang Prefecture, his aura deep and profound, faintly attuned to the earth.
After thirteen years of arduous cultivation and the expenditure of vast Lineage resources, he had finally refined the fifth meridian wheel within his body to complete perfection.
His spiritual power surged like rivers, and his divine sense had grown several times stronger.
Now, only the final, crucial meridian wheel remained. Once all six meridians connected, complete and unobstructed, he could enter the Spiritual Treasury Realm in one leap.
Yet this last meridian wheel stood across his path like a heavenly chasm, exceptionally solid.
He had attempted to break through several times, all to no avail, and the backlash left his meridians aching faintly.
Such was the time; such was fate.
Xu Xuan could only sigh.
"The Spiritual Treasury Realm opens the hidden treasury within the body and nurtures spirituality. It is the true foundation of the immortal path."
"Yet it will be difficult to achieve in this lifetime."
Xu Xuan opened his eyes and sighed softly.
Everything was still limited by the quality of his spiritual roots.
In this life, he had begun cultivating at the age of three, but his spiritual roots were inferior, and the further he progressed, the harder it became.
The Xu Household was unlike those cultivation Lineages that supplied spirit stones and pills to help overcome bottlenecks.
Over these years, Xu Xuan had relied on his own accumulated cultivation to make his breakthroughs.
His foundation in this lifetime was simply too shallow.
During the thirteen years Xu Xuan devoted himself to cultivation, the world outside had undergone changes like seas turning into mulberry fields.
This was the thirteenth year the Xu Household had cultivated the spiritual fields of Hundred Fragrance Valley under the patronage of Yuan Qiu, a deacon of the Azure Wood Sect.
The hundred clansmen originally dispatched there had spent years immersed in an environment of spiritual energy, cultivating the Green Grain Art.
Though the limitations of the art made it difficult for them to attain the immortal path, most were strong and healthy, far surpassing ordinary mortals, and farming came readily to their hands.
The spiritual grain and herbs they handed over each year not only met the quota but occasionally exceeded it, earning praise from Yuan Qiu.
Thus, Yuan Qiu's relationship with the Xu Household had also grown closer by the day.
Xu Xuan presented generous gifts every year and secretly helped him handle certain private affairs.
Yuan Qiu returned peaches for plums, taking good care of the Xu Lineage clansmen in Hundred Fragrance Valley.
He occasionally revealed inconsequential news from the sect.
He even tacitly permitted the Xu Household to exchange contribution points for some inferior pills and talisman paper.
To the Xu Household, this was already an enormous favor.
Xu Yuming had long since grown to maturity and taken charge of the Lineage's mundane affairs and the Azure Mystery Gang's public business.
He handled matters with seasoned skill and tact, with Xu Mingyuan assisting him.
He kept everything in perfect order, allowing Xu Xuan to focus on cultivation.
Xu Huai'en still commanded the gang's covert forces and the Secret Hall, his cultivation stuck at the peak of Essence Fusion, scarcely able to advance an inch.
Yet he remained unwaveringly loyal to Xu Xuan, searching everywhere for news of spiritual treasures that might help him break through.
As expected, the household's second Meridian Opening cultivator was Xu Xuan's first wife, Liu Yun.
She had now opened three meridian wheels, her cultivation second only to Xu Xuan's.
As for the Lin Household in the Ancient Azure Mountain Range, Xu Xuan had buried the events of thirteen years ago deep in his heart and never forgotten them.
He had ordered the Secret Hall to gather information about them in secret.
He learned that they were a Foundation Establishment Lineage entrenched in the mountains, with little contact with the outside world, quite arrogant and insular.
The mountains there were beautiful and held spiritual energy; they could become the place where the Xu Household's dragon rose.
"Father."
Xu Yuming's voice came from outside the door, steady and strong.
"Come in."
Xu Xuan's voice was calm, and Xu Yuming pushed the door open and entered.
He was now nearly thirty-six, with a composed bearing and traces of Xu Xuan's younger self in his features.
"Deacon Yuan has sent a message from Hundred Fragrance Valley."
He presented a jade slip.
Xu Xuan took it and swept his divine sense over it.
It was Yuan Qiu's routine inquiry about the growth of this year's spiritual herbs.
At the end, however, he had added a veiled remark.
In recent years, the sect's demand for low-grade pills had increased slightly.
If they could produce more dew condensation grass or earth poria root,
they might receive additional rewards.
"Yuan Qiu is hinting that we should expand our planting or increase our yields."
Xu Xuan set down the jade slip. "What do you think?"
"I believe this can be done."
Xu Yuming said thoughtfully, "Our Xu Household excels at farming. Since the clansmen in Hundred Fragrance Valley began cultivating the Green Grain Art, they have gained greater insight into tending spiritual plants."
"But increasing production will require more meticulous care and a greater investment of manpower and resources."
"Mm." Xu Xuan nodded.
"Send Deacon Yuan a reply saying that the Xu Household will do its utmost."
"Select another twenty careful, reliable young people from the Lineage and send them to help in Hundred Fragrance Valley."
"Draw all necessary expenses from the household funds."
"Yes."
Xu Yuming agreed, then added:
"I have another matter to report."
"Brother Huaien sent word that, in a newly discovered secluded valley downstream along the Azure River, he seems to have found several spiritual herbs that may be water essence orchids."
"But an unusual beast guards them. He lost two capable men and dared not act rashly, so he asks you to decide."
"Water essence orchids?" Xu Xuan's gaze sharpened.
This herb contained water and wood spiritual energy, which might offer some help in his attempt to break through the sixth meridian wheel.
"Tell Huaien not to take any more risks. Keep the news sealed. I will go there myself in the next few days."
"Father, you're going yourself?" Xu Yuming was taken aback.
"It's fine." Xu Xuan waved a hand.
"Ordinary unusual beasts cannot do anything to me."
His cultivation was now at the perfected Meridian Opening stage.
In this mortal region, as long as he did not encounter a Qi Refining cultivator, he could stride about unchallenged.
Three days later, Xu Xuan quietly left the prefectural city, met up with Xu Huai'en, and headed for the valley.
The valley was deep and damp, filled with miasma.
The spiritual herbs were guarded by a giant python on the verge of transforming into a flood dragon.
Its scales were dark, and a fleshy horn had already risen atop its head. The beast was alert, continually flicking its crimson tongue and spewing poisonous mist.
Xu Xuan did not wish to become embroiled in a prolonged fight.
He unleashed a stack of low-grade Sharp Metal Talismans purchased many years earlier, turning them into streaks of golden light that shot forth in a barrage, disrupting the giant python's vision.
At the same time, he employed his movement technique, swift as a ghost, and swept toward the water essence orchids.
With a wave of his hand, he swept them into a jade box, roots and soil included, then rapidly retreated.
The giant python flew into a rage and pursued him with a sweep of its tail.
Xu Xuan flung two Fire Crow Talismans behind him.
The talisman paper ignited, transforming into two fire crows that lunged at the python's head.
The instant the fierce flames forced the giant python back, Xu Xuan pulled away and swiftly retreated.
He rejoined Xu Huai'en, and the two quickly slipped into the dense forest and vanished.
Back in his meditation chamber, Xu Xuan took out the three water essence orchids, brimming with spiritual energy.
He carefully drew out their water and wood spiritual energy, guiding it to strike at the sixth meridian wheel.
His spiritual power surged, and the barrier of the sixth meridian wheel shook violently as cracks spread.
Yet in the end, he fell just a hair short and failed to open it completely.
Xu Xuan's face paled slightly. He swallowed an Essence Warming Pill and regulated his breathing to recover.
"Still not enough..."
"These meager spiritual herbs alone cannot shake the final barrier."
He murmured to himself.
Going from Meridian Opening to Spiritual Treasury required a considerable expenditure of spiritual energy.
Only by opening the human body's spiritual treasury could he bring forth more techniques.
"It seems only a genuine spiritual pill can help me break through."
However, spiritual pills were expensive in the markets and often unavailable even at the listed price.
Places rich in spiritual energy were even harder to find.
His gaze turned westward once more.
The Ancient Azure Mountain Range, the Lin Household...
"I must endure longer and accumulate more."
He turned his attention back to Hundred Fragrance Valley.
Perhaps the opening still lay with the Azure Wood Sect.
If he could render a great service and exchange it for a breakthrough pill, it was not entirely impossible.
"Yuming." He summoned his son.
"Send word to the clansmen in Hundred Fragrance Valley."
"Have them try cultivating other low-grade spiritual herbs, not just dew condensation grass and earth poria root."
"They may attempt to grow anything the sect needs."
"Find a way to obtain the necessary seeds and knowledge from Deacon Yuan, whatever the cost."
"Yes, Father!"
Xu Xuan rose and walked to the window.
Fifty-five years of life, five meridian wheels turning, spiritual power brimming-only the final step remained.
The immortal path was perilous, every step fraught with difficulty.
"I will enter the Spiritual Treasury Realm."
Though he possessed the supreme treasure, the Book of Time, he could not leave this problem to a later lifetime.
Ascending to immortality over a hundred lifetimes-in this life, he would open that hidden aperture of the spiritual treasury.