novelraw Chapter 280 257 Guest Elder
Chapter 280 257 Guest Elder
Liu Changdie waved his hand with a laugh upon hearing the words,
"Changdie will speak frankly. These fifty to sixty spirit stones are already at cost. Changdie doesn't seek these spirit stones, but rather has a favor to ask!"
It was then that Li Xuanfeng suddenly understood and nodded in realization, responding,
"Brother Changdie, feel free to speak. If it is within my family's power, we certainly won't refuse!"
Liu Changdie paused slightly, arranged his thoughts in his mind, and said softly,
"Changdie has immersed himself in formations for many years, and as he delves deeper into the Formation Path, it has become increasingly difficult to see through the logic and patterns of formations. If I could acquire a Pupil Technique, it would undoubtedly double my efficiency and bring me one step closer!"
"Unfortunately, I have been searching in vain in this county for many years. All the immortal cultivators in the local families treasure their own spells and keep their secrets tightly guarded. Changdie has no way to plead for them. If your noble family has this Pupil Technique and would lend Changdie a look, let alone this Earth Lock Huaqian Formation, even adding another formation would be no issue..."
Liu Changdie was, of course, aware that the Li Family possessed a Pupil Technique known as "Spirit Eye Clear Pupil," which he had coveted in his previous life but had never been able to obtain. Now that he had good relations with the Li Family, he thought to seize the opportunity to ask for this spell.
"Oh?"
Li Xuanfeng suddenly raised an eyebrow, causing Liu Changdie to inwardly panic. Setting down the teacup in his hand, Li Xuanfeng thought to himself in silence,
"Could it be just a coincidence? Liu Changdie is quirky, but he's shown goodwill towards my family. I wasn't aware of his background before, and since my family consists mainly of Qi Cultivators, I did not dare invite him to be a Guest Elder. I've discussed this matter with Xuanxuan a few days ago. Maybe I should take this opportunity..."
So he feigned hesitation and furrowed his brow, saying,
"It turns out that my family does indeed have a Pupil Technique, but there has never been a precedent of teaching it to someone outside the family."
"It was presumptuous of Changdie!"
Liu Changdie said, looking somewhat disheartened as he lowered his head and apologized, but Li Xuanfeng could not help but laugh out loud, replying,
"If Brother Changqie favors my family and agrees to be named as a Guest Elder in my family, then it wouldn't be considered breaking the precedent!"
"Are these words true?"
Liu Changdie immediately rejoiced, hastily asking the question. He had always been showing goodwill towards the Li Family, and if it weren't for the fear of being too eager and suspected of having ulterior motives, he would have asked about the position of Guest Elder earlier. Seeing Li Xuanfeng nod, he joyfully said,
"That would be most excellent, most excellent indeed!"
People are invigorated when they encounter joyful events. Liu Changdie had spent most of his previous life groveling and being ordered around, not being anyone important. Now that he was about to become a Guest Elder in the Li Family, his tone immediately became more earnest as he asked,
"I've heard that the main family has moved the Array Plate from Jade Court Mountain to Huazhong Mountain. Is it still working well?"
"Speaking of that... I was actually going to ask you, brother."
Li Xuanfeng shook his head and asked,
"The Great Formation on Jade Court Mountain was at the late-stage power of Qi Cultivation, but on Huazhong Mountain, it only has the power of the early-stage of Qi Cultivation. Brother, do you know why?"
Liu Changdie, looking as if it was self-evident, answered,
"This Array Plate isn't something that can just be set up anywhere to form an array. If I'm not mistaken, the Array Plate on Jade Court Mountain was arranged according to the Earth Vein's Spirit Mechanism of Jade Court Mountain. Naturally, its power would greatly reduce if you just move it to Huazhong Mountain as is!"
He waved his hand confidently and said,
"Give me a few days, and I'll go to Huazhong Mountain to modify the Array Plate. Leave it to me!"
Li Xuanfeng naturally thanked him profusely, and after a while of chatting and laughing, Li Xuanfeng said,
"I'll go report to the seniors right away. As for the matter of Huaqian Mountain, my nephew will stay to guard Huaqian, and Brother Changdie can discuss it with Yuanjiao."
Liu Changdie and Li Yuanjiao both agreed, and then they saw Li Xuanfeng take his leave and soar away on the wind. Li Yuanjiao turned around and asked,
"May I know what kind of spiritual objects the elder intends to use and how many workers are needed? I will prepare them right away."
Liu Changdie's lips quivered as he listened, and he awkwardly said:
"Don't call me senior... Brother Yuanjiao, once I write down the various requirements, you go and make the purchases."
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"This humble one, this humble one would not dare to be negligent..."
Shamo Li broke into a cold sweat, lowering his head, his eyes staring straight at the greenstone ground, his mind a mess, he vaguely agreed a couple of times. Li Tongya, sitting in the seat of honor, glanced at him and said:
"Come forward!"
Shamo Li hurriedly got up and took two steps forward, Li Tongya looked at him, his brow slightly furrowed and thought to himself:
"The 'Purple Thunder Secret Essence Technique' is indeed domineering, but it also invades the vital essence. This Shamo Li, fond of wine and women, indulging in nightly revelry for the sake of offspring, appears to take pleasure in the consumption of various spiritual objects in Shanyue, his vitality waning. If it continues like this every day, I'm afraid he does not have a hundred years left."
Li Tongya saw his timid appearance and, considering the man's diligent service over the years, only advised:
"You must cultivate your essence gently; do not overexert yourself with work."
Shamo Li didn't know if he truly understood, but he nodded obediently. Li Tongya having said his piece, thought warmly of his younger kinfolk and pondered to himself:
"With Shamo Li's example, I should look for some essence-nourishing and foundation-strengthening spiritual objects and elixirs for Qinghong..."
Li Tongya always took great care with his younger relatives, even preferring to place his own children after his siblings' progeny. He carefully memorized this matter and said:
"Your eldest son has already begun his cultivation, sought out Xuanxuan on the mountain, and received the Li surname. He is promising, and once the child achieves Qi Cultivation, he should cede the position and come up the mountain to cultivate properly."
Li Tongya's words left no room for discussion, and Shamo Li felt no discontent upon hearing them, feeling somewhat moved and grateful instead. Foundation Establishment and Qi Cultivation were worlds apart, and he was still relatively polite. The great witches of Witch Mountain used to treat Qi Cultivators like medicinal herbs. The people of Shanyue had long since learned to await orders with bowed heads, and Shamo Li was no exception, saying:
"Many thanks! Many thanks, Old Ancestor!"
"Mmm."
Li Tongya saw his compliance and smiled:
"The ruler of Shanyue will only be able to meditate and cultivate in a secluded room on the mountain, a bit unfair to you."
"This humble one harbors no such thoughts!"
Shamo Li, after all, had ruled Shanyue for four or five years and knew well that it was time to show his loyalty. He knelt down with a thud and said tremblingly:
"If not for the main family, this humble one would have died in some corner of Shanyue long ago! Now I have achieved Qi Cultivation and rule over a nation, what more could I ask for... It's only right that my flesh and blood should inherit the throne, freeing me to concentrate on cultivation, enjoying the spirit mechanism of Immortal Mountain, for which this humble one is endlessly grateful!"
After hearing this, Li Tongya kept his eyes on the sword in his hand and nodded:
"Not bad, you've made a lot of progress. Stay on the mountain for a few months. In a few months, when my family needs to capture some demonic creatures, you will come along and contribute your effort."
"This humble one understands."
"You may leave."
Only then did Shamo Li slowly exit the courtyard, feeling his back soaked with sweat. He descended the mountain in a daze, his mind still vaguely on the sword that flashed with cold light, and it took a long time for him to come back to his senses, murmuring:
"The Li Family... Now that they have a Foundation Establishment to sit in power, that's truly great. I can be at ease, the main family has no fear of me causing trouble, and no longer worries about killing the donkey after it has done its job at the mill."
As Shamo Li walked on the stone-paved road, the various members of the Li Family appeared in his mind, from Li Xiangping, Li Tongya to Li Xuanfeng, Li Xuanling, then to Li Xuanxuan, Li Yuanxiu, Li Yuanjiao, and Li Qinghong. His heart was both relieved and moved.
"Coming to the main family was a spur of the moment decision all those years ago, yet I boarded this great ship... A single thought made all the difference; one could either end up as someone else's servant, a corpse in the forest, or become the ruler of a nation, a Qi Cultivator riding the winds."
"All the toil endured by fate, the countless schemes plotted by the heart, none compare to the difference a single thought can make, the absurd and extraordinary rises and falls of destiny in the world."
He was only in his forties, yet the inconsistencies in his experiences were more than ten times that of ordinary people. As he walked the mountain paths, his steps grew brisker.