Chapter 12: Golden Light Technique

Li Changhu woke up from his meditation for the sixth time. Gritting his teeth, he sat back down cross-legged to calm his mind.

"Too difficult."

He had been cultivating for over three months, yet he had only managed to condense a few wisps of moonlight essence. Xiangping had already attempted to condense the Xuanjing Wheel, and Tongya had condensed over seventy wisps of moonlight essence; only he, Li Changhu, was still struggling in the single digits.

Compared to the ease with which his two younger brothers cultivated, Li Changhu found it incredibly strenuous to guide spiritual energy through the twelve meridians. Even the seed of the talisman in his Qihai acupoint was listless and dim.

When refining moonlight essence, he couldn't even perceive it on nights when the moonlight was poor, let alone during the day. The few wisps he currently possessed were only condensed with the help of the Dharma Mirror.

"Sigh."

Li Changhu knew he had no talent for the path of immortality. Every time it was his turn to use the Dharma Mirror for cultivation, he felt immense guilt, believing he was obstructing his brothers' paths.

Waking up from his meditation for the seventh time, Li Changhu’s expression was dim. He looked at Li Tongya and Li Xiangping beside him, then quietly stood up and walked out the door.

Li Mutian was in the backyard, hunched over, polishing a long saber.

His right hand gripped the spine of the blade, while the thumb and index finger of his left hand pinched the blade itself. He held the weapon steadily with both hands, grinding it repeatedly against the whetstone.

Li Changhu steeled his resolve and spoke up

"Father."

"What is it?" Li Mutian asked indifferently, not even lifting his head.

"I fear I am not cut out for cultivating immortality," Li Changhu replied, feeling somewhat ashamed.

"So you intend to stop?" Li Mutian looked up, staring at him coldly.

"It is not that I wish to stop," Li Changhu, who had already prepared his words, looked at his father and explained

"My talent is far inferior to Tongya and Xiangping, not to mention Jing'er. I only manage to cultivate by relying on the Dharma Mirror. During the day, it would be better if I helped you manage the family business and tended to the fields; that way, it wouldn't arouse suspicion."

"Very well."

Li Mutian pondered for a moment, his expression softening significantly. He shook his head and said

"Forget about tomorrow. You go and prepare for Xiangping’s wedding. Don't make it too flashy; just invite some relatives and keep it low-key."

"Yes." Li Changhu nodded heavily and hurried toward the main courtyard.

As he entered the main courtyard, he saw his wife, Ren-shi, sitting in the yard, sewing clothes while chatting with Tian Yun. Since the women of the family were not allowed into the backyard ancestral hall, she had to wait here.

Seeing Li Changhu come out, Tian Yun sensed the couple might have something to discuss, so she smiled, made an excuse, and returned to the Tian family.

"What is it, Ping'er?" Li Changhu’s eyes softened as he looked at his wife and asked gently.

"Changhu."

Ren Ping'er had a dignified and graceful appearance. Her eyes carried a hint of joy as she said softly

"I am with child."

"What?" Li Changhu was shocked. The suppression and frustration in his mind vanished instantly. His face flushed slightly, and he asked excitedly

"Are you really?"

"Would I lie to you? Mother has already checked; it is true," Ren Ping'er nodded shyly, feigning annoyance.

"Father, Father! Ping'er is with child!"

Li Changhu laughed heartily, overjoyed, and hurried toward the backyard while calling out.

*Clang…*

Hearing the sound of metal clashing, Li Mutian immediately dropped his blade and hurried to the main courtyard, asking with an excited expression

"What did you say, boy?"

"Ping'er is with child!" Li Changhu beamed like a child, laughing as he spoke.

"Good! Good."

Li Mutian laughed heartily, patted the blushing Ren Ping'er on the shoulder, and said loudly to Li Changhu

"I will go invite a doctor. You take good care of her."

Li Changhu nodded repeatedly, pulled Ren Ping'er to sit down, and began to fuss over her with concern.

————

Backyard

Li Xiangping performed a hand seal and slowly woke from his meditation.

He reached out to pick up the wooden slip standing before him, untied the cloth binding it, and unfolded it with a "rustle."

Under the bright moonlight, the large characters at the beginning of the scroll were clearly visible

*Golden Light Technique*

The *Taiyin Breathing and Wheel-Nurturing Scripture* could neither be recited nor written down, but the accompanying techniques could be taught orally or transcribed. Li Tongya and the others had copied the techniques they had obtained to share with one another.

The *Golden Light Technique* before him was the one Li Chijing had obtained. Li Xiangping had successfully condensed the Xuanjing Wheel a few nights ago, so he had borrowed this technique to practice.

The *Golden Light Technique* was not difficult. After reading and comparing it for two nights, Li Xiangping had fully grasped the secrets.

He flipped his left hand, and a brilliant, shimmering golden light emerged from his palm.

"Golden Light Technique!"

This was a technique for offense and protection. By forming a seal and casting the spell, one could condense a ray of golden light that was exceptionally sharp.

This golden light could be attached to blades or swords to attack enemies, or it could be thrown; its power was quite considerable.

Waving his hand to disperse the spell, Li Xiangping walked out of the courtyard. His brothers were all sitting cross-legged in meditation. He found a bluestone at the entrance, wrapped his arms around it, and shouted in a low voice

"Rise!"

Unexpectedly, Li Xiangping lifted the bluestone with ease, even stumbling back a few steps due to using too much force.

"Entering the Fetal Breath stage grants a lifespan of one hundred and twenty years. With spiritual power flowing through the meridians, one becomes light of body, strong of limb, sharp of hearing, and keen of sight. Forming seals and casting spells, one is no longer of the common sort."

Recalling the description in the *Taiyin Breathing and Wheel-Nurturing Scripture*, Li Xiangping couldn't help but chuckle as he carried the bluestone into the backyard.

He set the bluestone upright, stepped back three zhang, formed a seal, and cast the spell. A golden light leaped from his palm and struck the bluestone directly.

*Clang~*

Bright sparks flashed. A shallow, clean-cut groove appeared on the surface of the bluestone, which had been pushed back by a full palm's width, leaving faint white friction marks on the ground.

"A fine technique!"

Li Tongya had already woken from his meditation and looked at Li Xiangping with a smile

"Jing'er’s technique is the most useful. A few days ago, he accidentally sliced the rockery in the backyard while practicing; I didn't even dare tell Father."

"In terms of cultivation, we are truly no match for Jing'er." Li Xiangping pursed his lips, set the bluestone upright again, and estimated the spiritual power left in his body—he could probably cast the spell four or five more times.

"Jing'er entered the Xuanjing stage in less than a month. Although he had the help of the Dharma Mirror, it is still too astonishing." Li Tongya shook his head.

The six wheels of the Fetal Breath stage were called Xuanjing, Chengming, Zhouxing, Qingyuan, Yujing, and Lingchu. Among them, the Xuanjing, Zhouxing, and Yujing wheels were known as the three barriers of Fetal Breath, which were particularly difficult.

Li Chijing and the others had easily broken through the gate of Fetal Breath with the help of the Dharma Mirror. For the subsequent Chengming Wheel, there were no shortcuts; they had to obediently breathe and absorb spiritual energy to condense the Fetal Breath.

"Drawing energy to refine essence, nine months for Xuanjing; breathing and exhaling, three months for Chengming—this is called having excellent natural talent." Li Xiangping sat beside his second brother, reciting the description from the Nurturing Scripture, and said to Li Tongya

"With the help of external objects, the standard for Xuanjing doesn't count, but this three-month Chengming period is something we can compare."

"True." Li Tongya nodded slightly, then added in a low voice

"As for Big Brother..."

"Big Brother is likely even worse off than you or me," Li Xiangping said gloomily, staring quietly at Mount Dali under the night sky.

"I will adjust my breathing for a few more days, then I can attempt to condense the Xuanjing Wheel. If I succeed, the Dharma Mirror can be used entirely for Big Brother’s cultivation," Li Tongya pondered.

Li Xiangping, who was looking at Mount Dali, narrowed his eyes. He suddenly stood up, looked toward the back mountain, and shouted sternly

"The thief has some nerve!"

(End of chapter)