Chapter 34: News

"Fifth, are you sure this news is true?" Li Shiqing looked at the newly returned Li Shize with a serious expression.

Li Shize nodded firmly; if it weren't true, he wouldn't have rushed back so urgently.

"It's true! Shortly, the Yuanming Sect will hold an auction, and three Foundation Establishment Pills will be up for bid."

Li Shiqing did not question him further, but there was a problem: the clan could not afford many spirit stones!

A single Foundation Establishment Pill had a market price of thirty thousand, but thirty thousand spirit stones would absolutely not be enough to buy one, especially at an auction! The price would undoubtedly climb steadily.

In previous years under the jurisdiction of the Beast Taming Sect, it took at least fifty thousand spirit stones to secure a Foundation Establishment Pill, but that was only because the various vassal forces lacked more spirit stones.

However, in Yunping Prefecture, due to the high volume of traveling cultivators and the prosperous economy, many clans were able to earn significant spirit stones. With more money in hand, the price of Foundation Establishment Pills would certainly be higher.

"Is the clan facing some difficulties?" Li Shize asked, noticing Li Shiqing's furrowed brows.

Under normal circumstances, Li Shize did not stay on the island because it was inconvenient to receive intelligence and news, so he was not very familiar with the clan's current situation.

"The clan's two shops in the market are doing very well, but it hasn't been long, so we haven't earned many spirit stones yet," Li Shiqing sighed helplessly. "If only the auction were held a year from now."

By then, he wouldn't have to worry about the lack of spirit stones.

"Shize, go and inquire further. See if the Yuanming Sect auctions Foundation Establishment Pills in previous years."

If the Yuanming Sect released Foundation Establishment Pills regularly, missing this one wouldn't matter; after all, there were currently no suitable candidates within the clan.

It wasn't that the Li family lacked ninth-level Qi Refinement cultivators—on the contrary, there were several—but these clan members had reached that level purely through the passage of time, meaning they were quite old.

The best age for a cultivator to break through to Foundation Establishment is before fifty. Once one passes fifty, blood and vitality begin to decline; if one passes sixty, the possibility of Foundation Establishment is almost non-existent.

"Alright, I will send the news back to the clan as soon as possible." Seeing that his task was done, Li Shize stood up to leave.

Li Shiqing pondered for a moment, then sent a message through the clan's jade talismans to Li Shilian, Li Shiren, and Li Zhirui, asking them to come to the main hall as soon as they were free.

Li Zhirui, who was checking on Daqing as usual, immediately headed toward the main hall upon receiving the message.

"Patriarch, is something the matter?" Seeing that only the two of them were in the hall, Li Zhirui thought he had been summoned specifically for something important.

"Wait a moment; Shilian and Shiren haven't arrived yet." Seeing Li Zhirui standing somewhat stiffly to the side, Li Shiqing smiled. "Relax, it's nothing major."

To ease the tension, Li Shiqing asked, "Have you been paying attention to that girl, Li Zhixuan, lately?"

"No. Daqing molted not long ago, so my recent energy has been focused on that."

"Molted?" Li Shiqing knew that turtles molted and smiled. "It seems you've taken good care of him; otherwise, Daqing wouldn't have molted so quickly."

It had only been about a dozen years since Daqing hatched; for the Azure Profound Turtle clan, he was still a child.

Li Zhirui smiled sheepishly, but since it concerned space, he was unwilling to discuss it further. He instead asked, "Patriarch, you mentioned Li Zhixuan—is something wrong with her?"

"The child is indeed quite good, with a resilient temperament. If she finds the right opportunity, she might one day achieve Foundation Establishment. It's just a pity her aptitude is too poor—she has four spiritual roots, and their purity is not high." As he spoke the last words, Li Shiqing's regret was palpable.

Although Li Zhirui felt that Li Zhixuan's achievements would go beyond this, saying so now would seem arrogant. After all, Foundation Establishment leads to the Golden Core stage, and the Li family had yet to produce a single Golden Core cultivator. Thus, he simply accepted Li Shiqing's assessment.

"A few days ago, Li Zhixuan heard Shiling mention sword cultivators and became very inspired. She is currently practicing mortal sword techniques with great diligence. Moreover, according to Shiling, Li Zhixuan has good talent in this area; perhaps the clan truly could produce a sword cultivator in the future."

Li Zhixuan was currently very famous in the Spirit Wisdom Courtyard; among the dozen or so children her age, none were unaware of her.

At the same time, however, she was also the least popular.

Because Li Zhixuan worked so hard, she inadvertently made the others look lazy. Furthermore, she was frequently praised by Li Shiling, unlike the other children who were often scolded by him.

"A sword cultivator?" Li Zhirui thought about his impression of Li Zhixuan and chuckled. "That should suit her very well."

Li Shiqing stared intently at Li Zhirui. "I've noticed you really like that girl."

"People who work hard are always somewhat more likable."

Just then, Li Shilian and Li Shiren arrived at the main hall, interrupting their chat.

"I called you both here to tell you something," Li Shiqing said solemnly. "Shortly, the Yuanming Sect will hold an auction, and there will be Foundation Establishment Pills available."

"Does the clan intend to buy one?" As soon as the words left his mouth, Li Shilian corrected himself. "The clan cannot afford that many spirit stones."

"Yes, so I called you here just to have you check the prices at the auction so the clan can be prepared."

Although Li Shilian had stayed in Yunping Prefecture for many years, he spent most of his time guarding Great Rong Island, so he was not very clear on many external matters.

Besides that, there was another matter.

"Given Zhiyue's aptitude, she must at least contract a third-tier spirit beast so as not to hinder her potential. Therefore, you must bring a large amount of spirit stones to this auction, lest a third-tier spirit beast egg or cub appears and we cannot afford to buy it."

"Understood." As the eldest in seniority, Li Shilian would naturally lead this mission.

Li Shiren would accompany him to guard against any potential ambushes on the way.

As for Li Zhirui, he didn't understand at first why he had been summoned, but after considering the situation of the ninth-level Qi Refinement clan members, he understood.

Li Shiqing was telling him that, barring any accidents, the next Foundation Establishment Pill in the clan would belong to him, Li Zhirui.

The members of the "Shi" generation were already old, and their hopes for Foundation Establishment were slim, so they didn't need to be considered.

The members of the "Zhi" generation were still young, but currently, only Li Zhirui and his elder brother Li Zhizhun were in the late stages of Qi Refinement. Given their current cultivation speeds, Li Zhirui would definitely reach the ninth level faster.

Therefore, the next Foundation Establishment Pill was destined for Li Zhirui!

Furthermore, with the current speed at which the Li family earned spirit stones, it would only take a year or two to save enough to buy a Foundation Establishment Pill.

So, even if this pill went to Li Zhirui, it didn't mean Li Zhizhun would never get one.

In truth, several clan members had been delayed because the clan had not accumulated enough spirit stones to buy a pill.

But that was the old Li family.

The current Li family had the Cloud Tower and the general store, earning several thousand spirit stones every month. They would never again face a situation where a clan member's progress was hindered by a lack of spirit stones.