Li Yuanjiao’s face lit up with joy as he lowered his voice and replied,

"This is not a place for noise. Let’s talk outside."

————

The side hall was much brighter, where two boys each bent over their desks, writing feverishly. Li Xizhi, being slightly older, wielded his brush with more skill and had already finished transcribing "Cold Pine Dew Snow Technique."

"Third Grade cultivation technique, with the Immortal Foundation of snow atop the pines, is indeed a fine technique."

After reading this spell, Li Yuanjiao couldn’t help but nod in approval. Once mastered, the technique would naturally wield cold energy to control rain and transform snow, making it a commendable spell, and it even included a Qi-gathering verse.

"One must choose the moment when the mountain peaks are shrouded in rain and snow, where the pine forests thrive under the full moon with no clouds to obscure, to gather Qi from the fresh snow falling between the green pines. One wisp in three months, and ten wisps make one portion."

"It’s not difficult."

Li Yuanping nodded lightly and replied,

"Jade Court Mountain towers high with snow at the summit; it should indeed be useful. I’ll send someone to plant the pines first."

"There’s no rush; pine forests cover the peaks of the North Shore. A single trip there should suffice."

Li Yuanjiao put away the wooden slip and said,

"Even with spell enhancement, a pine forest can’t be grown in a day or two, and besides, the path forward for this technique is unknown."

Li Yuanjiao’s words were laden with profound meaning, and the phrase "the path forward" clearly demonstrated his point. Li Yuanping nodded in understanding, and after their conversation concluded, Li Xijun, sitting below them, finally offered up the wooden slip.

"’Golden Hall Bright Yuan Art.’

Li Yuanjiao gently picked up the cultivation technique that Li Xijun had transcribed, reading it carefully for a while, his eyebrows raised involuntarily as he exclaimed,

"Fourth Grade cultivation technique?!"

With that, he eagerly flipped through the technique twice and laughed,

"Good... good..."

Li Yuanping also leaned in to take a look. His face showed joy at first, but upon seeing the tiny ink note at the end of the document, both men’s expressions changed dramatically. Li Yuanjiao squinted his eyes and whispered,

"Recorded by Cuimu of the Zhao Yuan Immortal Sect in Wei Country of the Central Plains, is this a heritage from the Zhao Yuan Immortal Sect of Wei Country of the Central Plains?!"

"Wei Country?"

Li Yuanping’s face showed confusion as he murmured,

"I’ve heard that in the north, only the great nations of Yan and Zhao exist, with the rest being mere regional states. I’ve never heard of this Wei Country... let alone this Zhao Yuan Immortal Sect... Is there actually an Immortal Path sect in the north?"

Li Yuanjiao carefully placed the wooden slip on the table, his heart pounding as he whispered,

"I’m afraid Wei Country might be an ancient nation from hundreds of years ago. I’ve heard that seven hundred years ago, Buddhism was in the north, and the Central Plains were governed by the Taoist sects, with as many as one hundred twenty-seven countries, with Wei Country likely being one of them."

"If that’s the case, then it makes sense, that Wei Country belonged to several hundred years ago, hence the existence of an Immortal Path sect..."

This news had naturally come from Xiao Guiluan; the Xiao Family’s heritage was long-standing, their ancestors being an Immortal Clan from the northern regions with good knowledge on the subject, and they even had several northern Taoist spells.

However, Xiao Guiluan was from a legitimate branch that had descended through the side lines, equivalent to a son of the Li Family’s principal lineage but born from a side branch, therefore making it even harder for her to access such news after marriage.

Li Yuanjiao’s excitement was clear to see, and upon hearing the news, Li Yuanping was momentarily stunned, quickly connecting the dots to something, and said in a serious tone,

"Are you implying, brother, that this technique, and perhaps even any technique of the same Metal Nature, has already been lost? Could it be that..."

Li Yuanping’s "clear path ahead" stuck in his throat as he saw Li Yuanjiao exhale deeply and whisper,

"We also shouldn’t rush to conclusions. It’s confirmed that there are remnants of the Immortal Path sects in the north, but we still need to thoroughly verify this matter."

Li Xizhi, standing beside them, was filled with fascination, and hastily said,

"As the two younger brothers have just entered the path, it will take at least ten years for them to reach the Qi Cultivating stage. Once I join the Green Pond Sect, I can inquire for our family about this Wei Country and Zhao Yuan Immortal Sect."

"Good!"

Li Yuanjiao exclaimed in approval, his demeanor and mood visibly relaxed. In the years since Li Tongya’s death, he had been walking on thin ice, afraid of falling short of expectations. Now, with a direction to move toward, his spirits were lifted.

"If only Uncle were not just from a side branch of the Xiao Family, then Auntie might have been able to inquire further..."

Li Xizhi looked at the tiny handwriting on the wooden slip with great excitement and casually made a remark, only to see Li Yuanjiao’s amused expression fade, as he sternly said,

"Xizhi!"

Li Xizhi looked up in bewilderment, only to see Li Yuanping also put away his smile and explained gently,

"If your aunt has married out, then she belongs to the Xiao Family. If Xiao Xian is indeed of Xiao Family’s main vein, asking your aunt to do this would put her in a difficult position, would it not?"

Li Xizhi, who had spent his childhood playing on the mountains and had even followed Li Qingxiao around for a while, was always particularly fond of him. Hearing this, he was taken aback and murmured,

"I didn’t think it through..."

Li Yuanjiao looked at him and sighed,

"Although my family does not rival other clans, it has still risen to become one of the noble families over three generations. While there is kinship within the clan, kinship does not allow for indecent behavior. In the end, such behavior could eventually ruin the very bonds of family..."

"The child understands."

Li Xizhi bowed in response, standing to one side. Despite his small stature, Li Xijun listened intently, not saying a word. His handsome face was filled with a pensive expression.

Li Yuanjiao then put away the wooden slip with a flip of his hand and, looking at Li Ximing, who was sweating profusely and still writing fervently at the bottom of the table, couldn’t help but laugh. He stepped down and said warmly,

"Why haven’t you finished yet?"

Li Ximing’s face was full of grievance; two wooden slips were already laid out in front of him. He carefully dipped his brush in ink and answered,

"Everyone’s scripts are merely a few thousand words, flowing with ease, but this one of mine is lengthy and verbose, full of rambling."

His words carried a childlike tone, which made Li Xijun and Li Xizhi both chuckle. Li Yuanjiao looked up to see four big characters on the edge of the wooden slip:

"Elementary Explanations of the Alchemy Dao"

"Alchemy Dao?!"

Li Yuanping and Li Yuanjiao glanced at each other. Li Yuanping said,

"How unusual, it’s the first time I’ve seen the granting of a Pill Scripture among the hundred arts of Immortal Cultivation."

Before he had finished speaking, he suddenly realized something. Both brothers placed their hands on Li Ximing, one reaching for the Sea of Qi Acupoint and the other for the Twelve-Storied Pavilion.

"This..."

After careful study, the Li family had never produced an alchemist before and they came to a somewhat ambiguous conclusion. Eventually, Li Yuanjiao decisively made up his mind and laughed,

"You just practice according to the Pill Scripture, and we will send someone to the Xiao Family to invite Elder Yuansi."

————

At the Southern Border, Yi Shan City.

The bitter cold wind blew fiercely over the city walls. A middle-aged man clad in leather armor stood quietly, his sharp gaze fixed on the beasts below; his dark gray eyes showed fatigue, but remained calm and undisturbed.

Raising the golden bow in his hands, he exhaled and spoke, the brilliant golden light gathered in his hands, intertwining and condensing a golden-white arrow.

"Loose!"

His eyes reflected the golden-white spots of light as the arrow fell like a shooting star, trailing a brilliant streak across the sky. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

"Whoosh."

The eagle, as large as a house circling in the sky, let out a sharp, earth-shattering cry, flapping its wings to gain altitude, but it was too late to dodge; its loud cry was abruptly cut off in its throat.

"Aw—"

Watching the eagle fall into the forest in the distance, Li Xuanfeng stood with his bow, the brilliance in his eyes dimming again. He sat down on the city wall and took out a flask from his bosom, taking a small sip.

"Xuanfeng, your archery technique has improved once again."

Fei Yihe, dressed in white and armed with a spear, sat down beside him and said softly,

"A beast on the Seventh Layer of Qi Cultivation defeated with but a single arrow. You must be close to reaching Foundation Establishment, right?"

"Mmm."

Li Xuanfeng replied, then set the long bow against the wall, making a loud clanging sound that made everyone around him flinch.

"I’ve reached the peak of Qi Cultivation, so I can choose a date for seclusion and breakthrough."

As Li Xuanfeng spoke these words, those around him turned their heads, each congratulating him in turn. Li Xuanfeng waved them off in response, and Fei Yihe said with a wry smile,

"Xuanfeng, with your exceptional talent, Yu Mugao and Yu Xiaogui would surely have headaches over you if you were at Lake Yu! It’s just a pity that we are trapped in this godforsaken place, watching Green Pond Sect struggle with the Demon King every day."

"If we win, the slain beasts belong to Green Pond Sect; if we lose, we’re the ones devoured, serving as nourishment for those beasts. Out of the fifty-six of us who stood here, only fifteen remain. A prolonged gamble predicts a sure loss; a prolonged gamble predicts a sure loss..."

Li Xuanfeng chuckled, replying,

"You seem braver these days, daring to say such things out in the open?"

"Alas..."

Fei Yihe sighed, his expression weary and helpless as he spoke,

"All of us here are bound to die sooner or later. What does Green Pond Sect care about what we think?"

Li Xuanfeng took another sip of his drink, his eyes deep with thought, and murmured,

"I heard that Green Pond Sect is calling for a group of Array Masters to come to Yi Shan City to repair the formations?"

"That’s correct."

Upon mentioning this matter, everyone was filled with joy and anticipation. Fei Yihe laughed heartily, answering,

"It’s been ten years. After being isolated from the outside world for so long, someone can finally come up! Who knows how the outside world has changed over these years!"