Li Chejing stood before the teeming beasts at the foot of the mountain, his cultivation radiating in great power. His white robe fluttered in the evening breeze, drawing admiring glances from those around him.
“Is that Li Chejing, the Qingsui Sword Immortal?" they whispered in hushed voices.
“Indeed, just look at his aura! He’s surely a mere step away from attaining the Foundation Establishment Realm!”
Despite the gossip around him, Li Chejing was acutely aware of his own situation. In reality, he was closer than a mere step away from attaining the Foundation Establishment Realm. As a matter of fact, he had to constantly suppress his true essence in order to prevent it from liquifying.
With just a thought, he could trigger the liquefaction of the six chakras of the Embryonic Breathing Realm within his body. His cultivation would then converge at his Qihai acupoint to form the foundation of the Great Dao, thereby breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm.
I can’t keep delaying this… The sect has sent people to pressure me thrice already!
As Li Chejing mulled over his situation, the handsome man in white beside him patted his shoulder.
“Junior… you’re at the peak of Qi Cultivation Realm already, aren’t you?”
Li Chejing sighed internally, before turning around to face the man dressed in white.
Senior Chi was slightly taken aback by Li Chejing’s response but nodded.
“Yes, the sect is looking forward to it. They have also prepared the pills to help you with your breakthrough… you can enter seclusion and focus on your breakthrough any time now, Junior Brother.”
Li Chejing nodded in response with an appreciative smile.
“How kind of the sect. Chejing can only express his gratitude!”
Senior Chi nodded, though his expression changed briefly.
“Naturally. However… how confident are you in breaking through, Junior Brother?” Senior Chi asked quietly, a hint of hesitance in his voice as he cleared his throat awkwardly.
Li Chejing feigned a troubled expression and answered, “Less than eighty percent…”
Senior Chi frowned at Li Chejing’s answer. An eighty percent success rate was extraordinarily high by any standard, yet considering the plethora of heavenly treasures Li Chejing had consumed, his mere ‘eighty percent confidence’ left Senior Chi perplexed.
Looks like I have no choice but to part with this Essence Gathering Pill…
With a soft sigh, Senior Chi reached into his brocade pouch and retrieved a jade bottle, offering it to Li Chejing with a smile.
"I have another Essence Gathering Pill, you may use it.”
Li Chejing nodded and accepted the jade bottle with an expression of great gratitude.
“Thank you, Senior Brother!”
Senior Chi, concealing his dismay over the loss of his valuable resource, maintained a smile on his face as he gave Li Chejing words of encouragement.
“Prepare yourself well before entering seclusion to achieve your breakthrough!”
Li Chejing nodded vigorously, then descended from the mountain. As he walked past Senior Chi, a chilling remark from Senior Chi stopped him dead in his tracks.
“Li Chejing! You must succeed in attaining the Foundation Establishment Realm, failure is not an option, and… you do not wish to face the consequences.”
This warning caused Li Chejing to pause momentarily, his gaze lifting to meet Senior Chi’s seemingly kind smile.
Li Chejing chuckled in response, shaking his head while he continued his descent down the mountain.
Senior Chi watched Li Chejing’s retreating figure coldly as he mumbled to himself.
“It’s just a few pills for someone on the brink of death. The Old Ancestor’s Nascent Essence Pill… that's a treasure we cannot afford to squander.”
Li Chejing descended the mountain and took a moment to collect his thoughts before entering a small pavilion at the foot of the mountain. He climbed the slightly worn pearwood stairs, his attention drawn to a youth that was sprawled drunkenly across a square, brownish-red table.
“Deng Qiuzhi!” Li Chejing called out as soon as he recognized the man, lifting the young man up from his drunken sprawl. With a quick flick of his wrist, the Moon and Autumn Essences swiftly gathered in his hand, forming a handful of clear lake water which he then splashed directly onto Deng Qiuzhi’s face.
It worked, and the cold water immediately startled Deng Qiuzhi awake. Water was trickling down his hair and face, evaporating into spiritual qi right away upon falling to the ground. The spell was cast with such finesse that it showcased the caster’s profound cultivation.
Blinking away his disorientation, Deng Qiuzhi recognized Li Chejing in his drunken stupor and greeted him with a sloppy grin.
“Brother Jing! You’re here early today!”
Li Chejing took a seat and managed to fill an entire cup from the remaining contents of the leftover wine bottles on the table. He brought it close to his lips and took a sip before speaking.
“I’ll be attempting to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm tomorrow.”
Deng Qiuzhi, even in his drunken state, was taken aback by his statement. Tears welled up in his eyes, blinking once more as he tried to focus on the man in front of him. “Brother Jing, are you really sure?” he asked with concern and unsureness.
Li Chejing nodded with a carefree chuckle.
“We are going to get devoured!” he grinned.
Deng Qiuzhi quietly lifted his cup in response to Li Chejing’s cheerful demeanor, only to find it empty. “You’re really optimistic,” he mumbled, a frown on his face.
Li Chejing smiled and said, “We’ve already had it all figured out over the past few years anyway, and I’m the primary component, while you are the secondary component. I wonder what kind of divine elixir we’ll become…”
After finishing the wine in his cup, Li Chejing stood up but stilled. After a moment of deliberation, he spoke.
“Hm, this wine isn’t strong enough.”
After muttering these words, Li Chejing then turned and made his way out of the pavilion.
His next stop was a cave dwelling on the mountain. He knocked on the stone door and waited.
Not long after, it swung open.
The person who greeted him was none other than his senior brother, Xiao Yuansi, with herbs in his hands. Upon seeing Li Chejing, a look of guilt washed over Xiao Yuansi’s face.
“Aren’t you going to invite me in, Senior Brother?” Li Chejing asked with a cheeky smile on his face.
Xiao Yuansi, realizing his oversight, quickly stepped aside to welcome him in with a sheepish expression. He hurried to serve tea as they sat at a stone table, his gaze lingering on Li Chejing.
“You’ve also reached the peak of Qi Cultivation Realm, Senior Brother. How confident are you in attaining the Foundation Establishment Realm?” Li Chejing inquired.
“My chances are not as favorable as yours, with only about thirty to forty percent. I believe I’ll need a few more years of preparation,” Xiao Yuansi replied grimly with a shake of his head.
Li Chejing nodded in response.
After exchanging a few more words, he finally got into the purpose of his visit.
“I’ve come with some… matters that I hope you can help me with, Senior Brother.”
“What is it, Jing’er…?”
Li Chejing took out a jade bottle from his pocket and showed it to Xiao Yuansi. “Zhiyun gave me this Essence Gathering Pill… please send this to my family,” he requested.
Xiao Yuansi nodded in understanding before hesitation filled his expression.
“Then you…” his voice trailed off as his eyes glanced at Li Chejing questioningly.
“I won’t be using it.” Li Chejing announced, shaking his head with a confident smile.
He proceeded to lay out several items from his storage pouch and explained, "Over the years, I’ve earned some merit and traded it for an alchemy legacy. I heard that Xuanfeng’er is skillful with bow and arrows, just like his father, so I’ve obtained this secret technique for them. The rest I’ve exchanged for Spirit Stones—about a hundred in total. I’ve also drawn some talismans throughout these years. So please… help me take these back to them, Senior Brother.”
Xiao Yuansi naturally understood Li Chejing’s intention, listening intently to his instructions with tears glistening in his eyes.
With sorrow in his voice, he proclaimed loudly, “Jing’er, Qingsui Peak owes you an apology!”
Li Chejing paused before shaking his head and chuckled lightly, dismissing his apology.
“Senior Brother, there’s no need for such sentiments. Everything I’ve learned and gained came from Qingsui Peak, and now… I’m merely giving back to the sect. There’s nothing wrong with that, so let’s not dwell on such thoughts.”
Despite this, Xiao Yuansi continued, “No matter the circumstances, both the Xiao Family and Qingsui Peak have supported the Li Family and myself extensively. We will always hold this kindness in high regard!”
With those words, Li Chejing rose from his seat and performed a deep and solemn bow—first toward Si Yuanbai in the north, honoring him despite his imprisonment—before turning to Xiao Yuansi.
Tears welled in his eyes as he made a fervent plea, “Senior Brother, I entrust the future care of my family to you.”
“Jing’er, as long as I, Xiao Yuansi, live, the Li Family’s legacy will be preserved!” Xiao Yuansi expressed in great earnest, remaining in his solemn stance.
As Li Chejing wiped away his tears and embraced Xiao Yuansi with a smile, he heard his senior brother whisper in his ear.
“Li Chejing, do you have any other wishes?”
“Oh, my wishes have been fulfilled. If I were to wish for anything more, it would be to convey my word to that old ancestor of the Purple Mansion Realm who sought to use us as ingredients for his elixir. May his endeavor to break through to the Golden Core Realm fail and his life force deplete, reducing him to mere dust!”
His voice was cold and his words sharp.