Chapter 22: Immortal Sect

"Lijing Village has two hundred and twenty-nine households, Lichuankou has one hundred and one, Jingyang Village has two hundred and ninety-seven, and Lidaokou has one hundred and fifty-eight, totaling seven hundred and eighty-five households and four thousand two hundred and eighty people."

Li Tongya and the others sat upright in the main courtyard of the Li family estate. Standing at the bottom of the group in the center of the courtyard, Li Yesheng read the charcoal characters on the silk cloth aloud in a clear voice.

"Four thousand two hundred and eighty people. With three able-bodied men per household, we should be able to gather at least one or two individuals with spiritual apertures," Li Xiangping said in a low voice, leaning against the wooden table.

"The various elders of the Ye clan visited Yesheng last night... hoping to restore their ancestral surname," Li Yesheng said with a bitter smile, glancing up at the elders seated above.

"Ancestral surname?" Li Tongya looked up, asking in confusion.

Seeing the bewildered expressions of Li Tongya and the other, Li Mutian cleared his throat and explained, "The Ye clan was originally a branch of our Li family. However, they committed a transgression in the past, and the entire clan was expelled from the Li family and forced to change their surname to Ye."

"Originally, both families kept quiet about the matter. But now that they see our Li family has obtained a celestial opportunity, the Ye clan has naturally come clinging to us, wanting to change back to their ancestral surname."

Hearing this, Li Yesheng nodded. He had only learned of this long-standing secret last night after hearing the clan elder's weeping. The Ye elder had been in tears, wailing uncontrollably; had the Li family not just obtained a celestial opportunity, Li Yesheng would have truly believed the man was acting out of genuine devotion to his former masters.

"If any branch of the Ye family produces an individual with a spiritual aperture, then that specific branch shall be permitted to change back to the Li surname and become a branch of our Li family," Li Xiangping replied immediately after hearing Li Mutian's explanation. He instructed Li Yesheng to relay this to the elder, then turned to Li Mutian to ask

"Father, regarding the leaders of these villages..."

"Chen Erniu is shrewd and capable, and since he is a refugee from Lichuankou, send him there. Jingyang Village has the largest population and is the most prosperous; we must send someone trustworthy. I will send your Uncle Ren to oversee it."

Li Mutian took a light sip of tea and continued, "Lidaokou is right next to the Ancient Li Road, where there are many refugees and the situation is most complex. Xu Wenshan is a cunning man; let him lead his band of refugee brothers there."

"Father's planning is thorough," Li Xiangping nodded, holding the scroll containing the methods for cultivating spiritual plants and studying it.

"The priority now is to use the Spirit-Seeking Technique within this scroll to examine the ley lines of the various villages, so we can locate those spiritual fields and plant the spiritual rice and White Yuan fruits as soon as possible."

————

Li Chijing stood upon the flying shuttle, watching as the vast earth, the houses that looked like ants, and the majestic cities all vanished into the distance. The sorrow of leaving home was instantly cast aside, replaced by a surging excitement in his heart.

"A great man should ride the wind and grasp the moon, wielding a sword across the world!"

After flying for about two hours, a group of extremely high mountains appeared before Li Chijing's eyes. Pavilions and terraces were scattered among the peaks in an endless succession, presenting an aura of the immortal realms.

Flocks of cranes and white birds darted between the mountains. Before him, Si Yuanbai was no longer meditating with his eyes closed; instead, he waved his hand to toss out a command token and waited quietly.

"So, Martial Uncle Yuanbai has returned."

A white crane slowly landed in front of Li Chijing. Holding the token in its beak, it spoke curiously, "Who is this kid?"

It was Li Chijing's first time seeing a talking immortal beast, and he was too nervous to speak. Si Yuanbai smiled and said, "A new disciple recently accepted by my Qing Sui Peak."

"Congratulations, Martial Uncle," the crane offered its blessings. As it spoke, its wings flapped gently, and a transparent light screen slowly opened a gap before the two of them.

Only then did Li Chijing realize there was a nearly transparent great dome covering the entrance of the Qingchi Sect, isolating the spiritual energy inside from the outside.

Upon entering the gates of the Qingchi Sect, Li Chijing felt a sudden wave of refreshment wash over his entire body.

"Such a high concentration of spiritual energy."

Seeing Li Chijing's surprised expression, Si Yuanbai chuckled softly. "This is the Tianyuan One-Path Array of the Qingchi Sect. It is incredibly miraculous, sealing the inside from the outside so that the spiritual veins of Mount Qingchi are enjoyed exclusively by our sect. With the power of the array, as long as a Foundation Establishment cultivator is guarding it, even a Purple Mansion cultivator would find it difficult to break through."

"Truly miraculous," Li Chijing echoed, though he was secretly thinking, *I wonder if I can learn this array technique so I can set one up on my family's back mountain as well.*

Seeing Li Chijing's dazed expression, Si Yuanbai assumed he was merely awestruck and continued, "The hundred arts of cultivation: arrays, alchemy, magical tools, talismans, beast taming, pulse reading, and so on... their mysteries are infinite. It is best to choose one to specialize in."

"Master, which of the hundred arts do you practice?" Li Chijing asked curiously.

"Qing Sui Peak has always been famous for its swordsmanship among the thirty-six peaks of Qingchi..." Si Yuanbai replied, lifting his head with pride.

"Oh, I see," Li Chijing nodded in realization, looking toward the precious sword at Si Yuanbai's waist.

"Therefore... your master practices the path of talismans."

Looking at the blank-faced Li Chijing, Si Yuanbai continued somewhat awkwardly, "Your Grandmaster died early. As for the path of the Sword Immortal, I have yet to master it. However, Qing Sui Peak constantly needs to supplement its household expenses, so I had to learn talismans first. Who would have thought I would become more and more proficient in them..."

"Oh, oh." Li Chijing nodded repeatedly, indicating his understanding.

"First, I will take you to meet a few senior brothers and sisters."

Si Yuanbai led Li Chijing winding through the various peaks until they reached the low-lying Qing Sui Peak. As they landed on the summit, a man and a woman were walking toward them.

"You are ranked seventh under my tutelage. This is your third Senior Brother, Xiao Yuansi, at the seventh level of Qi Refinement. That is your fourth Senior Sister, Yuan Tuan, at the third level of Qi Refinement."

Li Chijing bowed respectfully to the pair. Xiao Yuansi appeared to have thick eyebrows and large eyes, looking quite elegant and generous. He handed over a jade slip and said, "This is a sword manual I happened to obtain while traveling. I shall give it to you as a meeting gift, Junior Brother."

Yuan Tuan also smiled slightly and presented a jade pendant, saying, "This pendant can calm the mind and aid in meditation; it is a useful tool for the Fetal Breathing Realm. I give it to you as well."

Li Chijing naturally thanked them one by one and asked curiously, "Are the other senior brothers and sisters in seclusion?"

Si Yuanbai smiled faintly and replied, "Your eldest Senior Brother possessed extraordinary talent and reached the Great Perfection of Qi Refinement last year. He went into seclusion to attempt a breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment stage, but he failed and his cultivation perished along with his life."

Si Yuanbai's answer clearly exceeded Li Chijing's expectations. He let out a low "Ah," looking at Si Yuanbai with a complex expression.

"As for your other senior brothers and sisters, some died at the hands of demons, some died in battles for treasures, and some died due to bottlenecks or mental demons. They are all buried within the peak. Come with me to pay respects to them."

Seeing Li Chijing's sorrowful face, Si Yuanbai gave a cold laugh and spoke

"Cultivation is fundamentally a path of great struggle! To struggle means to strive for victory, to win! If you cannot win, you die—what is there to regret!"

"You, Li Chijing, must struggle; if you cannot win, you die. Your Li family must struggle; if they cannot win, the clan is destroyed. My Qing Sui Peak must also struggle; if we cannot win, our Dao is severed. The world is inherently a place where the strong prey on the weak; what is there to hide!"