Chapter 49: The Great Boat

Spiritual energy in the northern foothills of Great Lishan was gradually recovering, and with it, the number of monsters had increased. Li Tongya had only been gone for two months when a bear demon appeared at Lijing Pass. Fortunately, it was only at the Profound Scene Wheel cultivation level. Li Xiangping, who was just one step away from breaking through to the Green Origin Wheel, organized the village guards and solved the problem by firing a few golden rays from his bow.

"Xiangping and Tongya are both people who put one's mind at ease; they can make our Li family flourish. It's just that Jie'er is ten thousand miles away from home. I don't know the depths of that Immortal Sect, and with no one to help him, I wonder how he is faring now."

The old man stroked his snow-white beard and hair, turned his head to look at the mirror on the stone platform, and muttered to himself:

"Prosper together, suffer together."

————

The Xiao family's Crown Yunfeng was shrouded in clouds and mist. Pale white mist covered all the small courtyards so thoroughly that it was said even spiritual sense could not penetrate them. Li Tongya and Wan Yuankai followed the Xiao family servant in front for a while before seeing a flat area at the summit.

"Judging by the walking distance, this Crown Yunfeng isn't much higher than Lijing Mountain."

Li Tongya pondered this in his heart. He saw a large courtyard situated on the summit, with a crowd of people standing inside—roughly thirty or forty of them. They were all dressed in embroidered, luxurious clothing, whispering to one another in twos and threes. Everyone was standing, except for one old man who sat in the seat of honor, reading a book with lowered eyes, looking completely at ease.

"That old man is the Xiao family ancestor, Xiao Chuting. He is a genuine Foundation Establishment senior!"

Li Tongya heard Wan Yuankai speak in a low voice and hurriedly shifted his gaze away from the man, fearing he might accidentally offend him.

"This Senior Xiao is quite legendary. Over a hundred years ago, this Xiao family could only be considered the tail-end of the prefecture. Yet, when their clan leader, who was at the peak of Qi Refining, went out and died at the hands of a monster, Senior Xiao took on the responsibility in a time of crisis. He turned the tide, and relying on his superb alchemy skills, he forcibly maintained the Xiao family. Not long after, he even formed an Immortal Foundation, raising the Xiao family to the status of a noble clan."

Wan Yuankai explained in a low voice while looking at the people in the courtyard. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. He stepped forward a few paces and said respectfully:

"Brother Lu! It's been a long time. How have you been lately?"

The man, wearing a stone-blue silk-carved cloak, had a broad forehead. He should have looked like an honest man, but his face was full of arrogance. He frowned at Wan Yuankai and said:

"Hmm, so it's Brother Yuankai."

Wan Yuankai paused, gave a blank smile, and seeing the grey brocade pouch at the man's waist, he felt a sudden shock in his heart, thinking:

"Is the Lu family so wealthy now? They can afford to equip him with a storage bag? Could it be..."

Wan Yuankai's expression changed, and he blurted out:

"Fellow Daoist has already broken through the Qi Refining stage?"

"Not bad. My family still has a portion of Small Clear Spiritual Qi."

The man nodded slightly, glanced lightly at the people around him, and seeing them all casting glances his way, he couldn't help but lift his chin.

"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist."

Wan Yuankai's face was somewhat pale as he offered a low congratulation:

"In this way, your noble clan now has two Qi Refining cultivators."

After chatting a few more words with the Lu-surnamed cultivator and seeing the other party's indifferent attitude, Wan Yuankai returned with an ugly expression.

Li Tongya knew of this Lu family. On the road, after passing the Wan family's territory, one reached this Lu family. Wan Yuankai had once said that this Lu family also had a Qi Refining cultivator, and his tone had been full of envy.

"How did this Lu family produce another Qi Refining cultivator!"

Wan Yuankai complained a few times beside Li Tongya and smiled bitterly:

"This Lu Pingyuan once came to visit my Wan family and provided some resources to help us resist the Ji family. At that time, he was only at the Jade Capital Wheel cultivation level, but now he is already at Qi Refining!"

"This Small Clear Spiritual Qi..."

"It sounds nice! It's just refined using ordinary spiritual energy from the mountains. Three or four years of diligent breathing exercises and it's done. It can only be called common goods. Eight out of ten Qi Refining cultivators use Small Clear Spiritual Qi!"

Wan Yuankai's language was full of disdain, as if he wanted to vent all the grievances he had just suffered, yet in his heart, he was clearly envious to death.

As the two were chatting in low voices, they saw a brilliant glow of rosy clouds slowly rising in the east. The cultivators around them all looked up, discussing it in twos and threes.

"What a grand display."

"Is this the Rosy Cloud Boat?"

The rosy light in the east slowly approached, revealing its true form: a cloud boat carried by golden rosy light, with a pair of cloud-like wings on both sides. It broke through layers of clouds and mist, and within a few breaths, it docked at the summit.

"Welcome, Envoy of the Immortal Sect!"

The cultivators at the summit bowed in succession, and even Xiao Chuting stood up to welcome them.

A few cyan streams of light drifted from the Rosy Cloud Boat and landed on the summit, revealing a woman dressed in a cyan-jade long dress and a dark blue cloak. She wore a veil, and her appearance was indistinct. Behind her followed a few Immortal Sect handymen dressed in plain cyan clothes.

Xiao Chuting stepped forward and smiled:

"Greetings, Envoy."

"Senior, no need for such formalities!"

The fairy's voice was clear, melodious, and gentle, naturally giving off a sense of nobility.

"Then I won't delay. These are the Xiao family's offerings for this year."

Xiao Chuting laughed softly and waved his hand. The Xiao family members below hurriedly began to carry things to the front courtyard. Bags of spiritual rice were packed and piled in the courtyard, looking like several thousand catties at least, and there were more than a dozen boxes of various spiritual items, all opened for display.

"Five thousand catties of Purple Jade Spiritual Rice are all here, and all kinds of spiritual items in the prefecture have been provided according to the quota of previous years. Fairy, please feel free to inspect them."

"No need. I still trust the Xiao family's reputation."

Ning Wan shook her head and said softly.

Xiao Chuting cupped his hands, and the people below immediately carried these spiritual items and rice onto the boat. An ordinary storage bag naturally could not hold five or six thousand catties of spiritual items, which was why this Rosy Cloud Boat had to be dispatched.

The various families below hurriedly followed, handing over their respective offerings to the few Immortal Sect handymen and reporting their names one by one.

"The Wu family of Southern Prefecture."

"The Lu family of Tiaoyun."

………

"The Wan family of Huaqian."

"The Li family of Lijing."

Wan Yuankai and Li Tongya went up together to hand the offerings to the handyman. The Li family's offering this year was ten White Origin Fruits and two hundred catties of spiritual rice. Li Tongya looked at the remaining ninety catties of spiritual rice and five White Origin Fruits, feeling a sharp pain in his heart, but suddenly he heard a clear and melodious voice ring in his ears:

"Are you the person from the Lijing Li family?" ===== CHAPTER 50 =====