Family Cultivation: I Become a Mirror

'Sister-in-law inherently lacks a bit in talent, now at only the Seventh Layer of Qi Cultivation. Let's wait until she breaks through before sending her a Talisman Pill. Though the affection between brother and sister-in-law is deep, the gap between their abilities shouldn't become too large...'

Li Qinghong had been with Xiao Guiluan for many years and held deep affection for her. Li Yuanjiao, who always measured himself against Li Tongya and never favored personal interests, therefore Xiao Guiluan had never received many valuable resources, except for the elixirs Li Qinghong would occasionally send her way.

While Li Qinghong was pondering this, Li Yuanjiao glanced at her and immediately noticed her distraction. He asked her a question, to which Li Qinghong shook her head again and again, prompting Li Yuanjiao to say,

"The agreed upon date is approaching. Pack up your things, and let's head out together."

Li Qinghong, cradling her spear, replied,

"There's nothing much to pack. Let's go!"

Li Yuanjiao then called for Li Xihong, Li Xijun, and Li Wushao, instructing them to take care of the household with caution and not to act rashly. Only after that did he and Li Qinghong, together with Kongheng, take to the skies on the wind.

For fear of calculations by the Buddhist Practitioners, they flew swiftly and, after roughly a day, when the sky was just beginning to brighten, the Yu Fu County of the Xuan Xuan Sect appeared before them.

An old man came to meet them head-on. He had an ordinary face with two small moles, and his body was adorned with all sizes of jingling jade pendants. He approached with a hearty laugh,

"I am Kong Yu of Xuan Yue, it's a pleasure to meet all the Taoist Fellows!"

Kong Yu, who had been invited by Li Xuanxuan to the Li Family years ago to move mountains and revealed the information about the 'Incense Stick's Duration Noble Families,' was considered a friend of Li Xuanxuan. At that time, Li Yuanjiao had been in seclusion and had not met him, but Li Qinghong had, and she greeted the old man politely,

"I've met the senior before!"

"Ah! I dare not accept such courtesy; you flatter me too much!"

Kong Yu wore a bitter smile. When he visited the Li Family, Li Qinghong was still a Qi Cultivator, and it was no issue for him to act the elder. Yet in the blink of an eye, Li Qinghong had become a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, and Kong Yu dared not claim such seniority, repeatedly deferring and asking,

"Is Taoist Fellow Xuanxuan well?"

"My father is still in good health," Li Yuanjiao answered, and after exchanging pleasantries for a moment, several young men and women, all Qi Cultivators, flew up to them. They gazed up admiringly at the two and said respectfully,

"We have the honor of meeting the two seniors!"

Li Qinghong, still looking like a young girl in jade armor and silver boots, was so striking that the male disciples of Xuan Yue couldn't help but stare despite their fear, tight-lipped to hide their awe, leaving Kong Yu rather embarrassed.

Li Yuanjiao, with a more mature appearance, didn't look like a character of reputable standing, so naturally nobody dared to stare at him. He merely scrutinized this group of disciples, thinking to himself,

"Their cultivation is poorer than Xijun's, and they do not have the distinguished air of the major sect's disciples; they must not be of the core direct lineage."

The group gathered and set off quickly, heading downstream towards the East Sea.

...

At Wutu Peak.

Li Ximing slowly exhaled, his eyes alight as if they had ignited twin flames, which leaped and ascended before turning into a golden hue and slowly dissipating into nothingness. With a gentle inhale, he swallowed the Long-Range Prime Fire in front of him into his belly.

He had taken a Talisman Pill to break through to the Ninth Layer of Qi Cultivation two years earlier and, after accumulating and polishing his cultivation for a while, had brought his Cultivation Level to perfection.

The generation of Li Tongya lacked elixirs, and polishing cultivation was a task that usually took three to five years. By the time of his generation, all sorts of elixirs were becoming gradually plentiful, with Li Ximing never being in short supply, naturally progressing rapidly.

With a flip of his hand, he produced a jade bottle, the Sui Origin Pill, and pondered,

"This elixir of Brother Zhou... I don't really need it... It would be best to leave it for Xijun..."

Li Ximing was full of confidence in his path of cultivation, devoted and possessing a Heaven and Earth Spiritual Fire within him. Over the years, he had been uniting with women and consuming flames—intimately aware that he was in harmony with this path and that his prospects for Foundation Establishment were strong.

Despite this, Li Ximing still hesitated. A failure at Foundation Establishment meant a downfall into oblivion. If it were anyone else, even with a ninety-nine percent certainty, he would keep it to himself, unwilling to part with it.

But Xijun was not just anyone; there were few things in Li Ximing's life that he held dear, and Xijun was definitely one of them. This younger brother, who'd come to visit him day after day with earnest concern, was not easy to let go.

Biting his lip, Li Ximing placed the jade bottle on the table, restraining the impulse to take it back, locked the door, and left.

In front of him, Meng Zhuoyun's black hair was loosely scattered, tied at the tips with a red cord and adorned with a small, green and gold orchid. Li Ximing urgently needed to forget about that bottle of Sui Origin Pill and simply embraced her.

Meng Zhuoyun pouted, adeptly disrobing, while Li Ximing mumbled under his breath. She let him do as he pleased, hesitating over some decision.

Then she suddenly asked,

"Ming brother, will you keep me or not?"

Li Ximing frowned, as if repeating the same thing for the hundredth or two hundredth time:

"Settle it yourself and leave."

Li Ximing also seemed lost in thought, their bodies naturally intertwined after countless times together, yet neither of them was emotionally present. Meng Zhuoyun placed her hands on his chest and suddenly spoke:

"Li Ximing."

It was the first time she had addressed him so directly, which startled him. Meng Zhuoyun said softly:

"You just rely on the Li Family…"

"Do you think you're a genius? You're just living off the remnants of your ancestors. Without what the Li Family has provided, is there anything about you worth seeing, hm?"

Sweat rolled from Meng Zhuoyun's beautiful face, her breath unsteady, but her gaze remained calm as she whispered:

"Even without the background of the noble families, Li Yuanjiao can be a Warhawk General, Li Xijun can be a swordsman, Li Xihong can be a shopkeeper, but you? You're just a coward."

Li Ximing closed his eyes, as if touching a sore spot, and after several moments, he spoke in a low voice:

"Stop it… please, stop talking…"

Meng Zhuoyun released his hands, took a deep breath, and said softly:

"I shall take my leave."

She stood up with decisive quickness, pouring out everything from her storage bag onto the ground: elixirs, secret techniques, drawings, Li Ximing's clothing, piling it all on top of him.

In almost a state of disbelief and unpreparedness, Meng Zhuoyun draped on a robe, performed a Cleansing Technique, and strode out of the courtyard, her black hair flowing behind her, resolute.

She had only taken two steps when she saw a young man dressed in white standing in the woods ahead, blocking her path.

With sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, holding a sword in his embrace, despite Meng Zhuoyun's disheveled appearance and half-exposed snow-white skin, he only lowered his gaze politely and turned his face aside.

Meng Zhuoyun shook her head slightly, the cyan gold orchids in her hair shimmering under the moonlight, her alluring eyes stubborn and clear-cut:

"Senior, what business do you have with me?"

Li Xijun extended his hand courteously and said:

"I kindly ask to see your storage bag."

Meng Zhuoyun performed a bow and handed over her storage bag. Li Xijun examined it for a while and finding nothing related to his family, he apologized and returned the bag without moving aside.

Meng Zhuoyun had no choice but to release a Xuanjing Spirit Oath, vowing not to divulge any information about the Li Family. However, Li Xijun persisted, guilt coloring his lowered gaze as he softly said:

"I heard you have a magical talent for painting?"

Though he spoke politely, the [Han Lin] sword at his back gleamed imposingly. Meng Zhuoyun was no fool and understood immediately, adding a few more oaths. Li Xijun then expressed his apology:

"You have crafted many elixirs for our family. This injustice was Ming brother's fault. Here are some provisions for cultivation, merely to compensate you for the elixirs you've crafted over the years."

He removed a storage bag from his waist and handed it over with politeness. Meng Zhuoyun's face changed with embarrassment and anger, but seeing the sincerity in Li Xijun's eyes, realizing he meant no humiliation, she accepted it silently, saying softly:

"Thank you."

Having said that, she harnessed the wind and departed, turning into a distant figure that faded into the sky.

Li Xijun sighed and stepped into the courtyard, which was still in disarray. Li Ximing was tidying up his clothes. Li Xijun gave a strained laugh and said:

"You made the mess, but I'm the one cleaning up after you…"

Li Ximing remained silent. The painting in the courtyard still hung there. Its depiction of Li Ximing, although smiling, seemed cold and heartless, with indifferent eyes as if surveying something.

Overcome with annoyance, Li Ximing waved his hand to pull it down, folded it neatly, and stored it in his attire, then gestured for his brother to leave.

As he gathered the scattered paintings around the yard, Li Ximing suddenly lost interest. He brought out the pill furnace and began to craft elixirs anew.