"Lijing Village has 229 households, Lichuan Entrance 101 households, Jingyang Village 297 households, Lidao Entrance 158 households; a total of 785 households with 4,280 people."
Li Tongya and several others were sitting upright in the main courtyard of the Li Family, while Li Yesheng stood in the courtyard loudly reading the charcoal characters on the cloth.
"With 4,280 people, each household having three able-bodied adults, there should at least be one or two individuals with Spirit Apertures."
Li Xiangping leaned over a wooden table, murmuring lowly.
"Yesterday night, several Clan Elders of the Ye Clan came to visit Yesheng... hoping to restore their ancestral surname," Li Yesheng said with a wry smile as he glanced at the people seated at the head of the group.
"Ancestral surname?"
Li Tongya raised his head and asked, puzzled.
Seeing the bewildered looks on the faces of Li Tongya and another, Li Mutian coughed and began to explain,
"The Ye Clan was originally a branch of our Li Family, but committed a mistake and were expelled from the Li Family, thus changing their surname to Ye."
"Normally, both families wouldn't mention this matter, but now that the Li Family has encountered an immortal fate, the Ye Clan is naturally eager to affiliate themselves and wishes to revert to their ancestral surname."
At this, Li Yesheng also nodded. He had just learned of this old secret from the crying Clan Elder last night. The Ye Family's Clan Elder was in tears, sobbing, lamenting; if it weren't for the Li Family's recent fortune of an immortal fate to which he wanted to latch on, Li Yesheng might have truly believed the man's concern was for the main house.
"Should a branch of the Ye Family produce someone with a Spirit Aperture, we will permit that branch to revert to the Li surname and become a branch of our Li Family."
Having heard Li Mutian's explanation, Li Xiangping immediately replied to Li Yesheng, instructing him to respond to the Clan Elder, then turned to Li Mutian with a question,
"Father, about the chief stewards of these villages..."
"Chen Erniu is shrewd and capable, and since he's a refugee from Lichuan, send him to Lichuan Entrance. Jingyang Village has the largest population and is the most prosperous, we need to send someone we can trust; let your Uncle Ren handle it."
Li Mutian gently sipped his tea before continuing,
"Lidao Entrance, right next to the ancient Lidao, has many refugees and is the most complicated situation. Xu Wenshan is rather clever, so let him take his group of refugee brothers there."
"Father thinks things through thoroughly."
Li Xiangping nodded, holding the scroll in his hands that contained the methods for planting Spirit Plants, examining it.
"The urgent task at hand is to use the Spirit Seeking Technique in this scroll to check the Earth Veins in the villages, in order to locate those Spiritual Fields and start planting the Spirit Rice and Bai Yuan fruits as soon as possible."
————
Li Chijin stood upon the Flying Shuttle, gazing down at the vast land below, houses small as ants, and the majestic city all disappearing into the distance, all his worries of leaving home instantly cast aside, his heart filled with surging excitement.
"A true man should ride the winds and capture the moon, his sword reigning supreme in the world!"
After flying for about two hours, a high mountain range appeared before Li Chijin, dotted with pavilions and terraces, appearing as a continuous stretch, presenting a sight befitting an Immortal Sect.
Flocks of cranes and white birds shuttled between the mountains, and Si Yuanbai ahead, no longer meditating, waved and threw a Token, quietly waiting.
"Turns out it's Yuanbai returning."
A crane slowly landed in front of Li Chijin, curiously holding the Token in its beak and speaking,
"And who might this lad be?"
Seeing a speaking Immortal Beast for the first time, Li Chijin was so nervous he couldn't say a word; Si Yuanbai smiled and said,
"My new disciple from Qing Sui Peak."
"Congratulations, Uncle Master."
The crane said, congratulating him. Then, with a light flap of its wings, a transparent film slowly opened a gap in front of them.
Only then did Li Chijin realize there was an almost invisible large barrier enclosing the entire Green Pond Sect's Mountain Gate, separating the spiritual energy inside from the outside.
Upon entering the Mountain Gate of the Green Pond Sect, Li Chijin instantly felt a refreshing sensation throughout his body.
"What a high concentration of spiritual energy."
Seeing Li Chijin's astonished face, Si Yuanbai chuckled and said,
"This is the Green Pond Sect's Heavenly Primordial Dao Spiritual Formation, mysteriously profound, sealing off inside and out, ensuring that Green Pond Mountain's spirit vein is exclusively enjoyed by the Green Pond Sect. With the power of the formation, as long as there is an Immortal Cultivator of the Foundation Establishment Realm presiding, even Zifu Monks would find it difficult to break through."
"Truly marvelous."
Li Chijin echoed, yet he thought to himself, "I wonder if this formation can be learned and set up on the mountain behind my home."
Seeing Li Chijin's faraway look, Si Yuanbai assumed he was impressed and continued to speak,
"There are a hundred arts in Immortal Cultivation: formations, elixirs, magic artifacts, talismans, beast taming, vein exploration, and so on, all infinitely mysterious. It's best to choose one and cultivate it."
"Master, which of the hundred arts of Immortal Cultivation do you practice?"
Li Chijin asked curiously.
"Qing Sui Peak has always been famous for its swordsmanship among the Thirty-Six Peaks of Green Pond..."
Si Yuanbai proudly raised his head as he answered.
"Ah, I see," Li Chijin nodded in sudden realization, glancing at the precious sword at Si Yuanbai's waist.
"So... what your teacher cultivates is the art of talismans."
Si Yuanbai looked at the dumbfounded Li Chijin and continued somewhat awkwardly,
"Your grandmaster died early, and I have yet to start practicing the way of the Sword Immortal. Qing Sui Peak has constantly been in need of subsidizing the household, so I had to learn some talismans first. Who knew that the more I learned about talismans, the more proficient I became..."
"Oh, oh."
Li Chijin nodded repeatedly, indicating his understanding.
"Let me first take you to meet a few of your senior brothers."
Si Yuanbai led Li Chijin winding through the various peaks, finally arriving at the lower Qing Sui Peak and landing on its summit, where they were approached by a man and a woman.
"You are ranked seventh among your master's disciples, this is your third senior brother, named Xiao Yuansi, with a cultivation level of the Seventh Layer of Qi Cultivation, and that is your fourth senior sister, named Yuan Tuan, with a cultivation level of the Third Layer of Qi Cultivation."
Li Chijin respectfully bowed to the man and woman. Xiao Yuansi looked bold and generous with his thick eyebrows and big eyes. He handed over a jade slip and said,
"This is a sword technique I obtained by chance during my travels; I now give it to my junior brother as a welcoming gift."
Yuan Tuan also slightly smiled, presenting a jade pendant and said,
"This jade pendant can calm the mind and aid in entering a meditative state. It is useful for those in the Fetal Breathing Realm, and I also give it to my junior brother."
Li Chijin naturally thanked them one by one, curiously asking,
"Are the other senior brothers and sisters in seclusion?"
Si Yuanbai replied with a faint smile,
"Your eldest senior brother was exceptionally talented and achieved complete Qi Cultivation last year. Thus, he went into closed-door cultivation to break through the Foundation Establishment and failed, dying and his dao vanishing."
Si Yuanbai's answer clearly surprised Li Chijin, who let out a low "ah" and looked complicatedly at Si Yuanbai.
"As for your other senior brothers and sisters, some died at the hands of beasts, others in battles over treasures or spell battles, and still others from impasses and demons of the mind. All are buried in the mountain, and you will accompany me to pay respects to them."
Seeing Li Chijin's somber face, Si Yuanbai let out a cold laugh and began to speak,
"The path of Immortal Cultivation is inherently one of great contention! You must strive, not only to compete but to win! If you cannot win, you die, and there is nothing to regret!"
"You, Li Chijin, must strive, and if you cannot win, you will die. Your Li Family must strive, and if it cannot win, it will be wiped out. My Qing Sui Peak must also strive, and if it cannot win, it will meet its end. The world is naturally a place where the weak are prey to the strong, and there's nothing to conceal!"