Clan Cultivation: Starting from Foundation Establishment on Mount Luoxia

When Li Xiaoyao returned to the inn, it was already broad daylight.

He took the jade box out of his storage ring and placed it on the table.

The jade box was small, about the size of a palm, and was bluish-white in color, warm to the touch.

The runes on the box lid were densely packed, more exquisite than any restriction he had ever seen—they were the techniques of the primordial immortal path, inherited from the ancient methods recorded in the immortal sect's classics, but even more ancient and direct.

His divine sense swept across the surface of the jade box. There were nine layers of runes, nested one after another, interlocking.

The outermost three layers are for protection, the middle three layers are for sealing, and the innermost three layers...

He didn't quite understand it, but he vaguely felt that the direction of the three runes seemed to be waiting for something.

Li Xiaoyao withdrew his divine sense and did not forcefully break through.

Forcing the primordial immortal path's restrictions would only destroy what's inside. He needs time to study them carefully. But right now, time is what he lacks most.

He put the jade box back into his storage ring, sat down by the window, and closed his eyes in thought. He had the key, but what to do next?

He didn't know the location of the ruins, nor was he clear about the movements of the various factions. More importantly, what was the background of that young man named Zhu?

The fish in the underground river is the guardian spirit beast of a Golden Core cultivator.

It wasn't recognizing the bead itself, but rather the aura emanating from it—an aura identical to that on the candle.

The bead was given by the candle, and the fish recognized the candle's scent. The relationship between them is intriguing.

But Zhu didn't speak, and he wouldn't ask. Everyone has their own secrets.

The most important thing right now is to get the key out of Yongning City.

The people in the Paradise of Reincarnation will soon discover that the key is missing. At that point, the entire city will be locked down, and no one will be able to leave.

Li Xiaoyao opened his eyes, got up and went out.

He did not choose to go to Mo Yan.

Mo Yan is too shrewd. If you're not careful when dealing with him, he'll see right through you.

Moreover, all three locations he provided were fake—whether intentional or unintentional, this shows that the person is untrustworthy.

He didn't go to Zhu. Zhu's offer to help him must have been for some ulterior motive. Until his scheme became clear, keeping his distance was the best policy.

Li Xiaoyao walked around the city to make sure no one was following him, then went straight out of the south gate.

Outside the south gate of Yongning City lies the official road, leading to the heart of the Eastern Wilderness. Few pedestrians venture along the road; occasionally, a caravan's wagon passes by, raising a cloud of dust.

He walked for about an hour, then turned into a mountain path at a fork in the road and found a deserted, dilapidated temple to stay in.

The dilapidated temple was small, with only half a roof and a few crooked walls remaining. Li Xiaoyao sat down in a corner and took out the jade box again.

It's time to open the box.

He took a deep breath, held the jade box in his hands, and used his divine sense to probe into the outermost layer of runes.

The restrictions of the Primordial Immortal Path are different from those of the Five Elements and Twelve Qi. They do not emphasize the generating and restraining relationships of the Five Elements, but only the correspondence between "nature and destiny".

Although he was not a cultivator of the Primordial Immortal Path, his own Void Realization cultivation gave him a far deeper understanding of "nature" and "destiny" than that of an ordinary Purple Mansion cultivator.

First layer of runes, break.

The second layer, broken.

The third layer, broken.

The outermost three layers of protection peeled away like an onion. A faint bluish light emanated from the surface of the jade box, as if responding to his divine sense.

Next are the three layers of seals in the middle.

Li Xiaoyao didn't continue. Sweat was already beading on his forehead—breaking through the first three levels had consumed more spiritual energy than he had anticipated.

With his mid-stage Purple Mansion level spiritual strength, breaking through the sixth level should be barely feasible, but after breaking through, he would probably need to recuperate for several days.

This is not a wise choice on enemy territory.

As he hesitated, he suddenly felt something and looked up at the temple gate.

A figure walked in from outside the door.

Black robe, golden eyes, pale face.

烛。

Li Xiaoyao didn't move; the jade box was still in his hand.

Zhu stood still at the temple entrance, not approaching. His gaze fell on the jade box for a moment, then moved away.

"I'm not here to cause trouble."

He spoke softly, "I just wanted to remind you that the people at the Paradise of Reincarnation have discovered the key is missing. All four gates of Yongning City are sealed off, and they are searching house to house."

Li Xiaoyao looked at him: "How did you get out?"

"I didn't go into the city." Zhu sat down on the threshold, his back to Li Xiaoyao, looking at the sky outside. "After coming out of the Dark River last night, I went straight out of the city."

"You're quite fast."

Zhu ignored the barb in his words and continued, "That fifth-ranker in the Paradise of Reincarnation is called Iron Bone. He is the person in charge of the Paradise of Reincarnation in the Eastern Wilderness."

This person is cautious; he won't make a big fuss about the lost key. But he'll set up roadblocks at all possible intersections, slowly screening the area. As long as you're not in a hurry to leave the Eastern Wasteland, you're safe for now.

Li Xiaoyao was silent for a moment: "Why did you help me?"

Zhu didn't answer immediately. He looked at the cloud on the horizon that was gradually darkening, and after a long while, he spoke: "Because I need you to live."

"What's the point of living?"

"Enter the ruins."

Li Xiaoyao raised an eyebrow slightly.

Candle turned its head, its golden pupils shining brightly in the twilight: "There's something in the ruins that's very important to me. I can't get it myself; I need someone's help. You got the key and broke the outer layer of the restriction—the restriction of the Primordial Immortal Path, which not just anyone can break."

Li Xiaoyao's heart stirred slightly. Did this person know about the Primordial Immortal Path?

"so what?"

"So I'll make a deal with you."

Zhu stood up, took out a jade slip from his robes, and placed it on the threshold. "The location of the ruins, the deployment of various forces, and the route in are all inside. You take the key and enter the ruins; I'll follow. You can choose what's inside first; I only need one item."

Which one?

You'll find out then.

Li Xiaoyao looked at the jade slip but didn't take it.

Without urging him to leave, he turned and walked towards the door. Reaching the doorway, he suddenly stopped, and without turning back, said, "By the way, after the outer layer of restrictions is broken, the three middle layers of seals will slowly dissolve on their own. The restrictions of the Primordial Immortal Path work like this—after recognizing a master, the seal automatically dissolves. Your previous master must have been the one it was waiting for."

he's gone.

Li Xiaoyao sat there, staring at the jade slip on the threshold, and remained silent for a long time.

Waiting person.

When the fish recognized the scent within the bead, the whimper it let out was as if it had been waiting for a long time and had finally received something.

He recalled the incomplete cultivation manual in his arms, the words of the sect leader, and the young man who had attained enlightenment in the void.

The Primordial Immortal Path.

On this road, how many people are waiting, and how many have not yet arrived?

Li Xiaoyao put the jade box back into his storage ring, got up, walked to the threshold, and picked up the jade slip.

The divine sense probed inside and found a detailed map—the ruins were located deep in the Cangwu Mountains at the border of the Eastern Wilderness and the Central Continent. It marked three entry routes, seven locations that might be blocked by various forces, and the distribution of each force's strongholds in the Eastern Wilderness.

The intelligence was so detailed that it seemed impossible for a casual observer to obtain it.

Li Xiaoyao put away the jade slip and looked in the direction where the candle had disappeared.

Who is that person?

As dusk settled, darkness fell inside the dilapidated temple.

He didn't rush to leave, nor did he rush to open the box. He sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes, and regulated his breathing, slowly replenishing the spiritual energy he had consumed that night.

The mountain wind howled outside, making the dilapidated walls of the temple rustle.

In the darkness, the jade box lay quietly inside the storage ring, the three layers of seals in the middle silently dissolving. One layer after another.

It's like someone waiting layer by layer through the long years.