Li Qingxiao began by exchanging pleasantries, smiling as she said,

"I haven’t seen my parents for a few years, so I’ll take my husband to pay our respects to the elders first, then descend the mountain to talk in detail with second brother."

"Of course,"

Li Yuanjiao nodded slightly, waiting for Li Qingxiao and her husband to go up the mountain before he hurried into the hall and asked in a low voice,

"Has there been any unusual activity at home?"

Li Yuanping nodded gravely and replied,

"Ximing, Xizhi, and Xijun all experienced anomalies. I asked them in detail, they all said they encountered a person in white, holding a jade pendant..."

Originally, Li Ximing had been following Li Yuanping in Lijing Town, cultivating his skills, and Li Xizhi was about to enter the Green Pond Sect, staying by his mother’s side a bit longer. Li Yuanping had already called the children back and hidden them up the mountain.

Li Yuanping, who hadn’t received the token, didn’t feel much, but Li Yuanjiao had just deeply sensed it, and shook his head immediately, saying in a grave voice,

"This is... the disturbance of the Immortal Mirror."

"To the mountain!"

————

Lijing Mountain.

The two men deactivated layer upon layer of arrays and strode swiftly into the courtyard, where the vegetation was lush and pleasing, the golden sunlight poured down, and the whole place teemed with life.

They hurried to the ancestral hall, pushed open the thick stone door, and saw white streams of Qi gushing out, forcing them to take a step back, feeling a chill throughout their bodies.

The Qi tumbled in the courtyard for a while, shaking off flowers and leaves. The lush branches turned to dry yellow, rustling down a rain of withered leaves. In an instant, the springtime of the courtyard transformed into a cold autumnal atmosphere.

Li Yuanjiao stepped into the secret chamber and saw several small osmanthus trees standing in the middle, with several snow-white jade rabbits and yellow-green toads hopping on the ground, which greatly surprised him.

Scattered osmanthus flowers littered the ground, and the white moonlight diffused everywhere. The gray-green Mirror floated in the air, its mana brilliance falling down like long silken ribbons, commanding and formidable.

"This..."

Li Yuanjiao carefully walked around the rustling toads and jade rabbits on the ground, and approached the stone platform, saying respectfully,

"Descendant of the Li Clan, greets the Immortal Mirror!"

Perhaps it was his words that took effect, or as the Rosy Cloud Boat slowly departed, returning to the Green Pond Sect in the south, the brilliance on the mirror’s surface gradually faded away but still dazzled intensely.

Li Yuanping, who was only at the Third Layer of Fetal Breathing, couldn’t even enter the door of the secret chamber faced with such power, until the brightness subsided, he then slowly moved inside, still feeling icy and piercing to the bone.

"Bang!"

In an instant, the myriad imaginations within the secret chamber exploded together, turning into a thick moonlight like strands of pure white fog, spinning swiftly around Li Yuanjiao, who was kneeling in the center, and then gathered in front of him, condensing into a jade pendant.

Li Yuanjiao knelt before the stone platform, watching the moonlight coalesce and transform into a crystalline jade pendant. His expression was solemn as he said in a deep voice,

"Li clan descendant, Li Yuanjiao, acknowledges the command..."

The brilliance at the head of the chamber slowly receded, reverting to the unlit Immortal Mirror. The white moonlight flowed back from the stone platform into the mirror’s surface, and Li Yuanjiao bowed again before rising to his feet.

The two bowed and left the secret chamber. The stone door closed silently behind them. Li Yuanping said in a deep voice,

"Brother, Yu Muxian is a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, moreover one from the Green Pond Sect... This matter requires long-term planning."

"I understand that."

Li Yuanjiao narrowed his eyes slightly and said in a low voice,

"Moreover, I suspect Yu Muxian might have also gained some advantage from that jade pendant, always hiding it in his sleeve, frequently caressing it. His ability to display such talent on Yuanwu Peak, cultivating at such speed, is probably not unrelated to this treasure."

"That makes things even more difficult!"

Li Yuanping shook his head and continued in a stern voice,

"First, let’s send Xizhi into the sect to gather some information. As long as the jade pendant remains in his possession, there will eventually be a way."

Li Yuanjiao nodded while stepping out of the courtyard, and Li Yuanping went on,

"As for the matter of the Golden Sun Radiant Origin discussed a few days ago, this is of great importance and concerns our future prospects. It requires a great deal of time and needs a trustworthy and capable Qi Cultivator to go and gather Qi!"

"You mean...?"

A name popped into Li Yuanjiao’s head. He exchanged glances with his brother and asked,

"Uncle Chen Donghe?!"

"Exactly!"

Li Yuanping pursed his lips and replied,

"To the west of the Wangyue Lake’s West Bank lies the territory of the Jin Yu Sect, with several vast deserts. We can send people to search in that area, and if there are no thousand-mile passes, I’m afraid we must go to the Northern regions."

"Let you handle it."

Li Yuanjiao trusted him, but he stared at his pale complexion and frowned, "How come you seem even weaker? With so many affairs at home, you should let Xihong practice more. Consume more spiritual objects; don’t push yourself too hard."

"Heh."

Li Yuanping shook his head and replied,

"With my flawed root bone, it’s like a large vat with a leak at the bottom, no amount of spiritual objects is of any use. Being able to maintain my cultivation level without regression has already cost a lot of spiritual objects."

As the two talked, they had arrived at the small courtyard at the foot of the mountain and took their seats one after the other. Li Yuanping waved his hand to shift the topic away from himself and continued,

"It’s Xihong who worries me... With a personality that’s soft, dull, and weak, he is indeed well-loved by the younger members of the clan, but he lacks the makings to manage the family."

"A few days ago, I entrusted him with several tasks, but he was indecisive and too easily swayed. I had no choice but to send him to manage the spirit rice in Shanyue."

Although Li Yuanjiao trusted his own brother, Li Yuanping wanted to take this opportunity to clarify the situation, to prevent his elder brother from thinking he was mistreating the eldest son of the uncle’s lineage. After Li Yuanjiao heard this, he lifted the tea on the table and replied,

"It’s of no great concern, I think Xijun is clever, and both he and Ximing have good potential. We don’t need to be too harsh on Xihong."

Li Yuanjiao, in his earlier years, was fierce and excessively bloodthirsty. After suffering through the agonizing events of his elder brother’s sudden death and his great-uncle’s passing into meditation, his temperament had greatly tempered.

He immediately set down the cup and finished telling the events regarding Yu Muxian’s visit. Li Yuanping sighed,

"Now that the Fei Clan’s younger generation has entered Yuanwu Peak, at the least they are Yu Muxian’s sect brothers, or possibly even his disciples. The Fei Clan... I fear they may no longer be as united with us as before."

"Not only that..."

Li Yuanjiao shook his head, about to reply when a well-dressed woman entered the courtyard and said warmly,

"Elder brother, Brother Ping."

Li Qingxiao had just come up the mountain, and after meeting several younger members of the Yu generation, she inquired about the family situation. Li Yuanping explained them one by one. In a soft voice, he said,

"The family has been improving over the past few years. The old ancestor also had some realizations, entered seclusion for cultivation. You can rest assured and not worry too much."

"Good."

Li Qingxiao’s eyes were slightly red, showing a reluctance to part. She said softly,

"Xiao Xian finished his duties in the clan these past few years and was about to start our journey back to Yu Mountain with me. Hearing of this matter, I rushed here hastened. I cannot stay long now; I can only hastily bid farewell to my parents."

"Yu Mountain is quite far from Wangyue Lake. If there’s anything at home, I fear I may not be able to return in time."

She knelt down gracefully and replied,

"For my parents at home, I must trouble you, Elder brother and Brother Ping, for your care. Qingxiao gives her thanks!"

"Go with peace of mind."

Li Yuanjiao moved aside, not accepting her courtesy, slightly shook his head, and said in a low voice,

"Help your husband well in Yu Mountain, and do not dwell on family affairs. Or else, it could give rise to gossip... In a few years, when you have children, bring them back for your elder brother to see."

"Understood!"

Li Qingxiao responded softly. Together with Xiao Xian, they flew away on a flying shuttle. Li Yuanjiao came back to his senses and looked towards Li Yuanping, saying,

"In a few days, I too will return to Wutu Mountain for secluded cultivation. I reckon that by that time, Qinghong will also emerge from seclusion. Considering she’s consolidating her cultivation, you can ask her about anything."

"Understood..."

Li Yuanping replied. He then watched as Li Yuanjiao calculated the hour and said gravely,

"Tell Qinghong to wait with me on the mountain after three months on the Ji Hai day. I will make a trip home."

Li Yuanping was momentarily stunned, unable to grasp the significance of this major event. The timing for offerings was in winter, too far off. He couldn’t help but ask,

"What is this...?"

"Five years have passed."

Li Yuanjiao let out a deep sigh, his lips moved slightly as he used mana to send his voice ringing in his ear,

"The old ancestor’s Life Jade has shattered five years ago, in accordance with his last wishes. We should break through and enter, open the doors to the Cave Mansion of Meichi Mountain, and respectfully welcome the celestial remains."