Chapter 45: Drag

Li Tongya stared at Wan Tiancang before him, feeling an immense sense of awkwardness. If his family possessed those Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment talismans, he could at least seriously consider trading them for the Array Dao inheritance. However, the white light that had saved Wan Xiaohua was not a talisman at all, but an attack launched by the Dharma Mirror. This left Li Tongya speechless.

"Brother Wan, it is not that I am unwilling to trade, but truly, I cannot..."

Li Tongya opened his mouth, uttering words he didn't even believe himself, and sighed inwardly.

Wan Tiancang naturally refused to believe him. Frowning, he tried to persuade him earnestly by explaining the pros and cons, while secretly wondering

"This is clearly a win-win situation for both families. Why is Li Tongya being so vague and acting as if he isn't interested?"

Seeing Li Tongya's troubled expression, Wan Tiancang suddenly had an epiphany. He spoke with absolute certainty

"Rest assured, Brother Tongya! Aside from the Earth-Lock Huaqian Array on my family's Huaqian Mountain, which concerns the safety of our family's heritage and cannot be leaked, the remaining ten Fetal Breath Realm arrays and three Qi Refining stage arrays will not be missing a single one. Not a single piece will be touched; they will be delivered completely intact into your family's hands!"

Seeing that the man had gone this far, Li Tongya felt a surge of temptation. He could only employ a stalling tactic, nodding and saying

"I must discuss this with my father and younger brother before I can reply to you, Brother Tiancang."

"Of course, of course!"

Wan Tiancang nodded repeatedly, feeling that the matter was eighty to ninety percent settled. He let out a relaxed sigh and added

"Such a major matter naturally requires your father's consent. Then, I shall await your good news, Brother Tongya!"

After a few more words, Wan Tiancang took his leave.

***

At the summit of Mount Lijing.

"That Wan Tiancang certainly has a silver tongue."

Lu Jiangxian's divine sense had clearly observed the actions of both men, and his thoughts raced.

"The power of that Taiyin Mysterious Light is equivalent to a single attack concentrated from the full cultivation of a peak Yujing Wheel cultivator. It seems that if one takes a direct hit, even a newly entered Qi Refining cultivator would suffer greatly. No wonder Wan Tiancang is coming to demand it."

Regarding the Li family, Lu Jiangxian could be described as quite satisfied. The entire family had stepped onto the path of immortality thanks to his Mysterious Bead Talisman Seeds. Each person's seed had condensed their entire cultivation; one could say their prosperity or ruin rested entirely on a single thought of Lu Jiangxian, which gave him a great sense of security.

Every time a powerful aura flew past Mount Dali, Lu Jiangxian would honestly disguise himself as an ordinary mirror, hiding in these deep mountains and old forests. He simply did not want to become a tool in someone else's hands. Who knew what methods those Zifu or Jindan cultivators possessed? They might not necessarily be unable to deal with an existence like him, a spirit of the tool.

While he might recover faster in the hands of those cultivators, it was nowhere near as comfortable as staying low and developing in these mountains day by day. Every Mysterious Bead Talisman Seed he planted acted like one of his tentacles, transmitting information and searching for treasures. Every breakthrough made by a family member added to his dharma and divine sense.

"How can being a dog be as comfortable as being a master!"

Lu Jiangxian murmured to himself. Looking at the vibrant life of the Li family under the protection of the talisman seeds he had nurtured, he felt immensely satisfied.

But looking at it from another perspective, if he were a member of the Li family, having his entire cultivation held in the hands of a tool with its own will would be something Lu Jiangxian could never endure. He would find every possible way to seize control. Although the Li family members were clever and capable, they were also suspicious and calculating; thus, Lu Jiangxian had never shown signs of intelligence, instead maintaining the appearance of acting purely on instinct.

As for the Wan family's array inheritance, Lu Jiangxian was also deeply interested. He wondered what kind of effect it would have if he used his mirror-spirit body as a medium to set up arrays.

"The only question is, how to let the Li family obtain this inheritance..."

————

"An Array Dao inheritance?"

Li Xiangping frowned, looked at Li Tongya, and shook his head. "Our family has no talismans to give him."

"But this array inheritance is truly tempting. I am also extremely envious."

Li Xiangping was also moved. He slapped his thigh and stood up quickly, pulling Li Tongya toward the backyard.

"Let's go ask Father."

Li Mutian was sweeping the floor in a small room in the backyard. The old man had few hobbies; he neither smoked nor gambled.

On ordinary days, he would pass the time playing with his grandson or chatting with Tian Shoushui, wandering around this small room where the mirror sat, as if afraid that if he wasn't careful, the mirror would fly out through the skylight.

Li Xuanxuan was cultivating in the side room. By utilizing the moonlight power from the mirror surface, the child had already condensed seventy strands of moonlight power. He was only slightly slower than Li Chijing had been back in the day, which had brought great joy to Lady Ren and the other elders.

After hearing Li Xiangping's words, Li Mutian put down his broom, looked at the mirror on the stone platform, and said deeply

"This is not an easy matter."

Seeing the regretful expressions on his two sons' faces, Li Mutian narrowed his eyes and continued

"A few days ago, that demon was killed by the white light from the mirror. What do you two think?"

Li Tongya and his brother were stunned for a moment, then frowned in deep thought.

"Such a spiritual tool is born with the destiny to slay evil and demons. Perhaps that demon got too close and was executed by the mirror."

After a few moments of contemplation, Li Tongya voiced his thought.

"That makes sense."

Li Mutian nodded and said in a low voice

"If we want to help Wan Tiancang, we could simply tell him that the talisman must be used by my family, and then use the Dharma Mirror to launch a sneak attack on Ji Dengqi from a distance. However, Ji Dengqi is neither evil nor a demon, so how could he trigger the mirror's attack?"

Li Xiangping remained silent for a long time before suddenly speaking

"The path of cultivation begins with the Mysterious Realm. Alchemy, smithing, talisman drawing, and array setting—even storage bags can only be used once a Yujing Wheel cultivator has birthed divine sense. Perhaps once we reach the Yujing Wheel stage, we can unravel some of the mysteries surrounding the Dharma Mirror and use its power to kill enemies."

"Correct."

Li Tongya nodded. Calculating the time, he said

"The Wan family's spiritual rice has just finished a harvest. It will be at least two to three years before the next harvest, and that is when Ji Dengqi will attack across realms. We have plenty of time."

Li Mutian sat on a stone stool, picked up the teapot, and filled the tea bowls before him. He said leisurely

"Let us stall for now. Once our Li family produces a Yujing Wheel cultivator and our strength is comparable to the Wan family, we will resolve these issues. Until then, let Ji Dengqi suppress the Wan family for us."

"Yes."

Li Xiangping took a light sip of tea and asked Li Tongya

"How is your progress, Second Brother?"

"I have already touched the edge of the Azure Essence Wheel. I only need to breathe for a few months. Once I find a day when the Yang is bright and the Yin is dim, I can attempt a breakthrough."

Li Tongya smiled faintly. Looking at the water-like moonlight flowing across the mirror surface, he explained

"The Azure Essence Wheel is much easier to achieve than the Chengming Wheel."

Li Xiangping shook his head with a smile and said seriously

"In a few months, it will be the time for the Immortal Sect envoys to come and collect tributes. We should also consult the Wan family on many matters then."

(End of Chapter)