Family Cultivation: Rise of the Wilderness

Chapter 323 Yingyuefang City
After spending two days at the curling garden, Li Xiangming suggested taking a walk around the neighborhood.

In fact, after the Li family members met, they unanimously decided to return to Danggui Mountain.

But Min Ning refused no matter what she said.

She certainly didn't dare to forcibly stop them, but instead made up many excuses.

For example, they bought a highly nutritious fish to make soup for Li Xiangren, which would help him recover from his injuries. They also invited a famous doctor to come and treat Li Xiangren, and the doctor was still on his way.

These excuses come in all shapes and sizes, and not all of them are false.

Even though Lee Sang-in said he didn't need it, his injury was indeed a problem.

Ultimately, after careful consideration, the Li family decided that it was better for Li Xiangren to stay at Hengyue Sect, so they did not insist on taking him away.

Those who decided to return to Dangui Mountain were the same four people who came, plus Li Chengkang.

However, before submitting his resignation, Li Xiangming planned to visit Zhang Min and the other disciples of Green Cloud Cave.

"Xiangming, that Min Ning seems to have feelings for Big Brother."

On the mountain path of Xinyuan Peak, Cao Yanjun followed Li Xiangming's steps and whispered.

Li Xiangming turned around: "It seems so."

Unlike others, Cao Yanjun stayed in Dendrobium Market after arriving in Hao County to look for himself.

In other words, she had never been to Hengyue Gate, unlike Li Chenggeng, Li Qianshi, and others who were fully aware of this.

But after spending the last two days together, she noticed some clues.

"If that's the case, wouldn't it be a bit inappropriate to leave my eldest brother behind at home?"

Cao Yanjun hesitated.

Li Xiangming fell silent for a moment.

This outcome is exactly what the Li family, and Xin Yuanfeng, are happy to see.

However, this is far too unfair to Ye Yun.

Ye Yun played a significant role in Li Xiangming's marriage to Cao Yanjun, and both men had a high regard for her, naturally not wanting her to be harmed.

Upon learning that the owner of the curling garden was Min Ning, Li Xiangming was also subtly trying to remind Li Xiangren.

He could tell that Li Xiangren was unaware of the true nature of the situation.

But Li Chenggeng stopped him immediately.

For the Lee family, getting Lee Sang-in and Min-nyeong together is the only way to get back on track, and the Lee family can also use this opportunity to strengthen their ties with Xuanli Zhenren.

The importance of the favor of a Golden Core cultivator is self-evident.

The Li family is currently on the rise, focusing on internal governance and seeking strong external support; this is a path to prosperity that requires repeated refinement and practice.

As a beneficiary of the family's existing interests, how could Li Xiangming possibly sabotage this plan?

So for the past few days, he has been pretending to be stupid and has remained silent in the face of Cao Yanjun's probing.

Cao Yanjun was incredibly intelligent and quickly understood Li Xiangming's attitude, sighing slightly.

She knew that Li Xiangming did not want to help Ye Yun, but he was bound by his family and had no choice in the matter.

If only the two of them were independent cultivators!
The thought flashed through Cao Yanjun's mind. She glanced at Li Xiangming's face again, but ultimately remained silent.

Li Xiangming is deeply entangled in the Li family; the Li family's interests are his interests, and the Li family's crisis is his crisis. He can no longer remain unaffected.

Even if it were between himself and the Li family, he would probably choose the Li family without hesitation.

Thinking of this, Cao Yanjun suddenly felt a chill.

Li Xiangming, unaware of Cao Yanjun's thoughts, noticed her somewhat lost in thought, so he tightened his grip on her fingers, pulled her into his arms, and softly asked, "What's wrong?"

Cao Yanjun was startled by this sudden scene. Just then, several cultivators walked towards her. Her face flushed, and she hurriedly broke free, saying, "I'm fine."

Li Xiangming chuckled, then released his hand and turned to look at the newcomer.

The newcomer had already stopped in his tracks. Upon seeing Li Xiangming's gaze, he laughed heartily and said, "I am truly sorry for disturbing Fellow Daoist Li's enjoyment. I apologize on my behalf."

Li Xiangming waved his hand: "Not at all, Fellow Daoist Han, you took time out of your busy schedule to come over. I should thank you."

Han Yunhao smiled and gestured, "This way, please."

"Excuse me."

The two followed Han Yunhao away.

After walking for a while, Han Yunhao suddenly asked, "Fellow Daoist Li, are you also a disciple of Green Cloud Cave?"

Li Xiangming narrowed his eyes. Although he didn't know Han Yunhao well, he could tell from just a few interactions that this Hengyue Sect disciple who was staying at Xinyuan Peak was a man of deep thoughts.

You have to be extremely careful when dealing with this kind of person.

"I once studied at the Green Cloud Cave, and later moved to Pu County with my clan."

Li Xiangming briefly explained his connection with Green Cloud Cave.

"I see."

Han Yunhao's eyes flickered: "I heard that the whereabouts of your Green Cloud Cave's leader are still unknown."

To many outsiders, the Green Cloud Fairy's path to enlightenment is almost entirely linked to the Enlightenment Spring.

Li Xiangming naturally understood Han Yunhao's probing intent.

He replied calmly, "My master is a lucky man, and Heaven will surely bless him."

"That's how it should be."

Han Yunhao smiled.

The two chatted for a while longer, and seeing that Li Xiangming was very discreet, Han Yunhao stopped and focused on leading the way.

The people in Green Cloud Cave were all outsiders brought back, so they were not as well-known as Li Xiangren and therefore qualified to live on Xinyuan Peak.

The group wandered around and eventually arrived at the main peak of Baoquan Mountain—Xuannv Peak.

It is said that Xuannv Peak contains the best spiritual vein in Hao County and even the entire Zhangning Prefecture.

There are many different opinions regarding its specific rank.

However, most people believe it to be a high-grade third-tier spiritual vein.

The grade of a spiritual vein is the product of countless years. Don't underestimate the difference of just one grade; it represents a gap of thousands or tens of thousands of years.

The Xuan Nu Peak, a third-tier superior grade, is many times better than the Tai Lai Peak, a second-tier inferior grade.

Of course, you need the strength to protect good things.

A thousand years ago, Xuannv Peak was the territory of the Nanbin demon clan.

Now it belongs to Heng Kingdom and is regarded as a sacred place for cultivation by the millions of people in Zhangning Prefecture.

At the foot of Xuannv Peak, a huge city was built.

According to Han Yunhao, it's called Yingyue City.

Yingyue City is already located in the core area of ​​Hengyue Sect. Like Xinyuan Peak, it is not affected by the Nine Heavens Cloud Concealment Formation.

The people living in the city were not ordinary mortals, but rather the families of Hengyue Sect disciples.

For example, the Min family, relatives of Xuanli Zhenren, was a prominent family here.

The Min family, under the guidance of True Person Xuanli, has tens of thousands of members. Among these members, some will inevitably be born with spiritual roots, but they are far from meeting the entry standards of the Hengyue Sect.

Therefore, the True Man Xuanli moved these spiritual beings to Yingyue City.

Although they could not join the Hengyue Sect, they were able to successfully enter the Daoist path at Baoquan Mountain and receive the protection of the Hengyue Sect.

During wartime, these relatives and cultivators, essentially an unofficial force of the Hengyue Sect, also played a crucial role.

To facilitate their cultivation with the Hengyue Sect disciples, the Hengyue Sect also built a Yingyue Marketplace opposite Yingyue City.

Yingyue Market is only open to internal staff and has a limited flow of people, so it is certainly not as prosperous as Dendrobium Market, the largest cultivation market in Hao County.

However, Yingyue Market offers unique products from many of the affiliated forces under Hengyue Sect.

Moreover, the prices are fair, and everyone who has been there raves about it.

It is said that the Foundation Building Pill, which is highly sought after by outsiders, is also sold here.

"Is there really a Foundation Establishment Pill?"

Li Xiangming couldn't help but ask.

Han Yunhao chuckled and said, "That's true, but they're not easy to buy."

After listening to Han Yunhao's explanation, Li Xiangming realized that Yingyue Market was not always closed to the public.

Every five years, when Hengyue Sect holds the Qingfeng Dharma Assembly, a large number of outsiders flock to this place.

Foundation Building Pills will also appear at this time.

However, not everyone can buy them; only the top 100 young talents on the Qingfeng Ranking are qualified to participate in the auction of Foundation Establishment Pills. In other words, Foundation Establishment Pills are prepared for these individuals.

Upon hearing this, Li Xiangming secretly clicked his tongue in amazement.

No wonder so many cultivators are eager to attend the Qingfeng Dharma Assembly.

If one manages to take the top spot, not only will one become famous throughout the world, but one will also have the opportunity to establish one's foundation.

Of course, whether or not one can buy the Foundation Establishment Pill depends on their personal financial resources.

It's not like if you win the top spot, the Foundation Establishment Pills will be yours.

Without spirit stones, nothing you say will make a difference.

Han Yunhao chuckled: "The competition for Foundation Establishment Pills is fierce; it's no easier here than outside."

Li Xiangming nodded knowingly.

Foundation Establishment Pills are extremely precious, and even the Hengyue Sect cannot release many.

Although there have been cases where two or three Foundation Establishment Pills were auctioned at once in Yingyue Market, those were exceptions. In most cases, only one Foundation Establishment Pill will appear.

However, those who can squeeze into the Qingfeng List are mostly sons of powerful and wealthy families.

These people were rich and powerful, so they were naturally very generous when they auctioned off the Foundation Establishment Pills.

Therefore, buying Foundation Pills in Yingyue Market is an extremely difficult task.

At least for independent cultivators, it's out of the question.

Upon entering the market, Li Xiangming was surprised to find that there were a surprisingly large number of cultivators there.

Han Yunhao explained, "This year's Qingfeng Dharma Assembly is still ongoing."

At this point, Han Yunhao smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist Li and Fairy Cao are both outstanding individuals. If you are interested in the Dharma Assembly, why not give it a try on stage?"

"We've traveled a long way, so we won't join the crowd; we'll just watch."

Li Xiangming politely declined. Although being on the Qingfeng List would qualify him to purchase Foundation Establishment Pills, the Li family was far away in Pu County. Not to mention whether he could compete with the forces behind the Qingfeng List, even if he did manage to buy the Foundation Establishment Pills, how could he safely bring them back to Danggui Mountain?

Another point is that he was not qualified to participate in the Qingfeng Dharma Assembly at all.

This activity is open to Qi Refining cultivators.

He has already established his foundation.

Han Yunhao was clearly unaware of this, which is why he made this suggestion.

Li Xiangming did not correct it either.

Han Yunhao was somewhat surprised to see that Li Xiangming was not interested in the Qingfeng Dharma Assembly.

Hengyue Gate has put a lot of effort into creating this brand.

The Qingfeng Ranking alone caused countless talented individuals to suffer heavy losses.

However, Han Yunhao didn't think much of it.

He knew that the Li family had been absent from several Qingfeng Dharma Assemblies in a row.

Suddenly, he noticed that Li Xiangming had stopped and couldn't help but look back curiously.

On one side of the street, a woman with a cool and aloof demeanor, like the moon, was silently watching Li Xiangming.

"Fellow Daoist Li, do you know him?"

Han Yunhao's gaze held a strange quality.

"We're old acquaintances."

Li Xiangming smiled slightly and stepped forward to greet her: "It's been a long time. How have you been, Miss Zhao?"

Zhao Yue frowned slightly, clearly not expecting Li Xiangming to appear in Yingyue Market—those who could appear here were undoubtedly guests of Hengyue Sect.

Before she could speak, a young man in brown clothes beside her immediately asked, "Yue'er, who is he?"

As he spoke, he secretly glanced at Cao Yanjun.

But seemingly afraid of being discovered, he looked away as soon as his gaze met hers.

Zhao Yue did not reply, nor did she want to communicate with her former enemy, and turned to leave.

The man in brown became somewhat anxious. He glanced at Zhao Yue's retreating figure, then at Li Xiangming, and stepped forward to question her: "Who are you? What is your relationship with my Yue'er?"

Li Xiangming chuckled lightly: "I'm her savior, so you'd better be polite."

The man in brown was stunned, as if he wanted to say something.

But Zhao Yue had already walked far away. He hesitated for a moment, then turned and left.

Before leaving, he specifically warned, "Stay away from her."

Li Xiangming narrowed his eyes. At this moment, Han Yunhao coughed and said, "Miss Zhao is Elder Min's newly accepted disciple. She is so beautiful that she could eclipse the moon and shame the flowers. Recently, she also showed her skills at the Qingfeng Dharma Assembly and ranked twelfth on the Qingfeng Ranking. There are many people who admire her."

"Elder Min's disciple?"

Li Xiangming pondered for a moment.

After Fairy Shanyun's death, Shanyun Sect was left without a successor, and the Green Cloud Cave, which they had been eyeing, also suffered a devastating blow. For Zhao Yue, having lost her place to live, joining Hengyue Sect was undoubtedly the best option.

Given her abilities, it's not surprising that she ranked twelfth on the Qingfeng Ranking.

Even Li Xiangming felt that the ranking was too low.

But Li Xiangming never expected that she would be a disciple personally accepted by Master Xuanli.

No one mentioned this before at Xinyuan Peak.

Elder Min has always loved talent, and he enjoys taking on disciples.

Han Yunhao laughed and said, "If Brother Li is willing to stay at Xinyuan Peak, I can mention it to Elder Min. Perhaps he will be interested, and we can become fellow disciples."

Li Xiangming glanced at Han Yunhao. He had just arrived at Hengyue Sect and hadn't even met Xuanli Zhenren. How could the other party possibly accept him as a disciple?

Even if he were to be accepted into the family, his true intentions would probably be elsewhere than with Li Xiangren.
In the past two days, Li Xiangming has gained some understanding of Hengyue Sect from Li Chengkang and others.

When Hengyue Sect first occupied Baoquan Mountain, there were twelve Golden Core cultivators, one of whom was Xuanli Zhenren.

Throughout the rise of Hengyue Sect, Master Xuanli made outstanding contributions.

However, despite being a veteran Golden Core cultivator, Xuanli Zhenren's cultivation level was not satisfactory.

The Xuanling Zhenren, whom I watched grow up, has already entered the late stage of the Golden Core realm, while the Xuanli Zhenren is still stuck in the middle stage of the Golden Core realm.

Most importantly, his lifespan is running out.

According to the tradition of Hengyue Sect, anyone who achieves the Golden Elixir Path can establish their own peak on Baoquan Mountain.

Therefore, today's Hengyue Gate has far more than twelve peaks, but twenty-six peaks.

However, Hengyue Sect does not only have twenty-six Golden Core cultivators. Some peaks have more than one Golden Core cultivator. The reason they have not opened new Daoist temples is because there are only so many spiritually rich places.

Once Xuanli Zhenren passed away, no second Golden Core cultivator emerged from Xinyuan Peak, where he resided.

Therefore, this sacred land will inevitably be occupied by other Golden Core cultivators.

Master Xuanli had spent half his life managing Xinyuan Peak, so naturally he wouldn't allow such a thing to happen.

Therefore, he accepted many disciples, hoping to cultivate a Golden Core cultivator to succeed Xin Yuanfeng.

Unfortunately, very few of his disciples achieved great success.

Most people get stuck in the middle or late stages of Foundation Building and can hardly make any further progress.

Master Xuanli had no choice but to turn his attention to the younger generation.

For example, Li Xiangren, and Zhao Yue.

As for Li Xiangming, it was just a joke from Han Yunhao.

Li Xiangming wouldn't take it seriously.

Furthermore, taking Xuanli Zhenren as a disciple is completely different from entering the Green Cloud Cave.

The latter was merely a diplomatic tactic employed by the Li family, which Green Cloud Cave was well aware of. The former, on the other hand, emphasized sincerity and genuine feelings, and Hengyue Sect would not tolerate a disciple with disloyal intentions.

Once Li Xiangming joins the Hengyue Sect, he will inevitably have to sever ties with the Li family. Although he will not completely cut off all contact, he will prioritize the interests of the Hengyue Sect.

This is something the Li family absolutely does not want to see.

If the Li family doesn't support him, how can he possibly become a disciple of Master Xuanli?

This is a meaningless topic.

Li Xiangming didn't answer, and Han Yunhao, feeling awkward, gave an embarrassed smile.

However, not long after, the group arrived at a secluded hotel.

"The disciples of Green Cloud Cave are currently staying here temporarily."

(End of this chapter)