Clan Cultivation: Starting from Foundation Establishment on Mount Luoxia

With the 100,000 spirit stones bestowed by the Immortal Sect in hand, plus the proceeds from selling local specialties such as "Fire Fiend Crystals," Li Xiaoyao, along with Li Chijing and his clansmen, began to sweep through the major merchants of Chuixing Post Station.

At "Tiangongfang", Li Xiaoyao carefully selected three ounces of "Earth Core Flame Jade Marrow" and a bottle of "Warm Yang Jade Liquid" for Li Mutian.

"Shopkeeper, how is the quality of this Flame Jade Essence? My elder brother is nurturing a fire-attribute natal magic weapon, so it can't be taken lightly."

He carefully examined the fiery red luster flowing within the chalcedony.

The shopkeeper, an experienced craftsman, stroked his beard and smiled:

"Fellow Daoist, rest assured, this is a top-grade product extracted from the depths of the 'Molten Fiery Vein'. The fire spirit is pure and gentle, best for nourishing the spirituality of magical treasures."

"This bottle of 'Warm Yang Jade Liquid' is also the shop's signature product. It is used to wipe magical artifacts and can gradually enhance their affinity with the earth fire evil energy. It is especially effective when used in turbid evil planes."

After some haggling, the deal was struck at 18,000 spirit stones.

After going to the "Hundred Herbs Pavilion", Li Xiaoyao selected elixirs for Li Xiangping.

"Are there any pills that can help fire-attribute cultivators break through the late-stage Qi Refining realm and purify their mana?"

He asked the female nun behind the counter.

The female cultivator recommended the "Fire Condensation Barrier-Breaking Pill" and the "Crimson Sun Pure Essence Powder," explaining:

"The 'Fire-Condensing Barrier-Breaking Pill' is slightly stronger and has a greater impact; the 'Red Sun Pure Essence Powder' is milder and focuses on purification. Using them together yields better results, but the price..."

Li Xiaoyao waved his hand:

"Three portions of each, please!" Nearly ten thousand spirit stones were spent again.

At the "Wanfaqi Shop," he purchased twenty sets of standard magical artifacts (a combination of swords, shields, and knives) for the eligible children of his clan.

They also selected a pair of "Wind Chasing Shoes" for Li Chijing, which could slightly increase his movement speed.

Seeing that Li Chijing still had the old "Autumn Water Sword" at his waist, Li Xiaoyao thought for a moment and bought him a second-tier low-grade "Cold Wave Sword" with good water attribute affinity.

"Chijing, your cultivation is progressing, it's time to get a better sword. This 'Cold Wave Sword' is compatible with your cultivation method, so take good care of it."

Li Chijing took the longsword, feeling the cool, spiritual energy emanating from its blade, and solemnly said:

"Thank you very much, Second Uncle. I will certainly live up to your expectations."

Finally, at the "Array Material Hub," Li Xiaoyao made a large-scale purchase of rare materials needed to construct a more advanced protective array and expand the purification range of the spiritual field.

Examples include "Void Stone Powder", "Five Elements Spirit Crystal Fragments", and "Pulse-Stabilizing Copper Stakes".

He also bought a large amount of practical blank talisman paper, spirit ink, and common elixir ingredients, spending almost all of his remaining spirit stones.

In return, they received several storage bags stuffed full.

"That feels good! Although it hurts a bit, at least our savings are a little better now!"

Li Xiaoyao looked at his bountiful harvest with great satisfaction.

"Second Uncle, shouldn't we go back?"

Li Chijing looked at his still excited second uncle and whispered a reminder.

"What's the rush? It's a rare opportunity to get out here, let's take a stroll and see if there's anything new."

Li Xiaoyao led Li Chijing on a leisurely stroll through the bustling "Hundred Arts Street".

Li Chijing is now at the seventh level of Qi Refining. His aura is calm and he silently observes the cultivators coming and going, trying to figure out their cultivation methods. This is also a form of cultivation.

Upon arriving near the "Wanzhenlou" building, one sees a large crowd gathered in the square in front of the building, with constant noise and cheers.

"What's going on over there? It's so lively!"

Li Xiaoyao curiously squeezed through, and Li Chijing followed.

Squeezing into the inner circle, one could see a makeshift arena, about ten feet square, temporarily erected in the center of the square.

A flag was planted beside the arena, with the words "Making friends through martial arts, stopping when the point is reached" written on it.

The arena was empty, but seats were set up next to it.

A middle-aged monk, dressed in a brocade robe and with a handsome face, sat with a smile.

Standing beside him was a young man of about seventeen or eighteen, dressed in fine clothes, with a distinct air of arrogance between his brows.

The cultivator in brocade robes cupped his hands in greeting to those around him, his voice clear and melodious: "Greetings, fellow Daoists. I am Shen, the manager of the Wanzhenlou branch in this post station."

"Setting up this challenge was a last resort."

He pointed to the arrogant young man beside him.

"This is my son, Shen Lingxiao. He received family instruction from a young age and grew up in the building, where he saw many rare and precious treasures. He has a slight talent for swordsmanship."

"In addition, his Golden Fire True Spirit Root talent gave him a touch of arrogance, and he looked down on his peers."

"I have tried to persuade him many times but to no avail. So I have set up this challenge in the hope that a young hero will step up and blunt his arrogance, so that he will know that there are always people better than him."

He paused, then continued, "The rules of the arena are simple, and are limited to cultivators in the Qi Refining stage."

"My son's cultivation is quite good, at the eighth level of Qi Refining. If there are any outstanding young talents of similar age or age who would like to come up on stage and spar with him, please do so."

"Regardless of victory or defeat, as long as you step onto the stage and compete earnestly, you will receive a reward of one thousand spirit stones. If you can even gain the upper hand by one or two moves..."

With a wave of his hand, a servant brought over a tray covered with red silk. When the silk was lifted, it was immediately filled with precious light and spiritual energy.

It turned out to be fifty crystal-clear mid-grade spirit stones (worth 50,000 low-grade spirit stones) and a first-grade top-quality magic weapon radiating spiritual light!

"...These fifty mid-grade spirit stones and this 'Flowing Cloud Heart-Protecting Mirror' shall belong to the victor! In addition, Wanzhenlou will present another generous gift!"

"Even if you are accidentally injured by my son, Wanzhenlou will have the best medicine to heal you completely and will also cover the cost of the medicine."

The audience erupted in cheers! Five mid-grade spirit stones were equivalent to fifty thousand low-grade spirit stones! And there was also a top-grade magic weapon! This generous offer made countless Qi Refining cultivators envious.

As his father spoke, Shen Lingxiao stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping across the audience with scrutiny and a hint of disdain, as if searching for a worthy opponent.

"Manager Shen is really investing heavily in his son's education."

"Eighth level of Qi Refining, Golden Fire True Spirit Root, and the young master of Wanzhen Tower, he must have many treasures on him, making him difficult to defeat."

"A generous reward will surely bring forth brave men; just watch!"

Amidst the murmurs, a burly body cultivator at the eighth level of Qi Refining leaped onto the arena and shouted, "I'll have a go at you!"

Before he finished speaking, he pounced forward, his fists whistling through the air.

Shen Lingxiao remained calm and composed, pointing his fingers like a sword. A sharp, crimson-gold sword aura struck first, aiming at the body cultivator's weakness. At the same time, he moved nimbly to avoid a head-on collision.

Although the body cultivator's attack was fierce, it lacked variation. After only seven or eight moves, Shen Lingxiao found an opening and struck his shoulder with a sword aura. Numb and tingling, the cultivator staggered back and had no choice but to admit defeat.

Then two more cultivators at the ninth level of Qi Refining went up; one possessed exquisite magical techniques, and the other had an extraordinary magical artifact.

However, Shen Lingxiao's sword techniques were fierce, his golden fire sword energy was both offensive and defensive, and the magical artifacts on his body flashed with spiritual light, so he won every battle.

Having won three consecutive matches, though his breathing was slightly disordered, his arrogance was even greater as he surveyed the audience:

"Is there any fellow cultivator who would like to offer guidance?"

The crowd below the stage exchanged bewildered glances. Shen Lingxiao's strength was indeed formidable, and he was rarely matched among those of the same level.

Li Xiaoyao, observing from the crowd, whispered to Li Chijing:

"See that? He's a typical pay-to-win player with decent skills, but he beats regular players like it's nothing."

"His dad is really worried; he's paying someone to give him a lesson in resilience."

Li Chijing observed Shen Lingxiao's swordplay and said softly:

"Second Uncle, this man's swordsmanship is a true inheritance from a master, with a solid foundation, and the combination of metal and fire makes his attacks fierce."

"He has at least two protective magical artifacts on him, one visible and one hidden. An ordinary level nine Qi Refining cultivator would indeed find it difficult to defeat him without special methods or powerful magical artifacts."

"How about it? Feeling itchy? Go up there and stretch your legs, earn some pocket money?"

Li Xiaoyao raised an eyebrow and smiled.

Li Chijing slowly shook his head, his eyes clear:

"Second Uncle, we have achieved our goal. Although this man is arrogant, his father intended to temper him. Why should we step in unnecessarily?"

"Furthermore, observing his swordsmanship, although it is sharp, it lacks the tempering of life and death, which is not very compatible with my path of 'slow and steady strikes, striking after the opponent has made a move'."

"Instead of acting impulsively, it's better to go back and properly digest what you've learned on this trip."

Upon hearing this, Li Xiaoyao burst into laughter and patted his nephew's shoulder forcefully.

"Good! You've got guts and a sharp eye! You're right, we're here to develop our skills, not to fight and make a name for ourselves. Just watch the show, it's time to go home!"

The two squeezed out of the crowd, no longer paying attention to the noise and challenges behind them.

On the return journey, Li Xiaoyao's mind sank into his sea of ​​consciousness, carefully pondering the vast artistic conception of the "Four Symbols Heavenly Will True Scripture".

Especially the "Emperor Yan's Burning Heaven Chapter," which subtly echoes the "Mysterious Pass" fire-attribute immortal foundation he has already forged.

Li Chijing wiped his newly acquired "Cold Wave Sword" and quietly contemplated its power.

The flying boat glided through the void, returning fully loaded.

The blueprint for the family's development became increasingly clear in Li Xiaoyao's mind, and the supreme cultivation technique that led directly to the Purple Mansion Path added infinite possibilities and weight to this blueprint.