Chapter 570 432: Departure (Part 2)

Zhu Xian calculated for a moment, already having met Fei Luoya's demands, instantly relaxing and waving his hand, saying:

"Let us settle it as such then!"

Li Xijun then invited Li Xihong up, to discuss things in detail; Zhu Xian had long been unsettled, and departed on the wind to report back. Li Xijun asked:

"Elder Brother, how much savings do we presently have at home?"

Li Xihong replied:

"Now each year brings in a bit more than sixty coins in income. After deducting the tribute, we save less than a hundred coins every five years. Adding Han Shizhen of the Han Family's sale of Wanling Flowers, which fetched forty coins, every five years we have a savings of one hundred thirty coins."

"The past ten years saw no major expenditure, subtracting several dozen coins of outlay, leaves about two hundred coins."

"Two hundred coins, enough to set up two Qi Cultivation formations... Let alone building one for Fei Luoya, we may yet knock out some things from him as well."

Li Xijun then felt certain, nodded slightly, and softly spoke:

"The matter of expansion still needs Elder Brother's arrangement. Eastern Shanyue can be moved west, and the dozen towns originally to the east can be redrawn under Lijing Prefecture. Elder Brother knows the measure—simply handle it as you see fit."

"Rest assured."

Li Xihong answered steadily and calmly, with much presence, though his gaze passed over those dressed in white and still held a hint of sorrow.

...

Li Xuanfeng made his preparations, stepped onto the Flying Shuttle, and with two Ning Family cultivators, bearing the Golden Bow, set out, drifting all the way toward the Green Pond Sect. On the way, the two Ning Family members, long used to accompanying him, introduced the various noble families across several counties.

These two brothers were both from a collateral branch of the Ning Family, having followed Li Xuanfeng for over a decade and held him in high esteem. Li Xuanfeng listened indifferently, without attachment, and simply flew on, landing amid Green Pond Mountain, instructing the pair:

"Go and call, gather all those who are heading to the East Sea."

He waited quietly, and according to the customs of Green Pond Sect, most who were sent to garrison the East Sea were cultivators of limited aptitude; except for the Chi and Ning families, the Peaks of Yuan Su, Yuanwu, and Yuanxiu would all be divided among Southern Border and East Sea…

He waited awhile, not intending to enter the mountain, merely sitting in the pavilion and watching the shifting mists of Green Pond Mountain. After a brief wait, he heard a commotion, and the two Ning Family members arrived, leading a crowd of cultivators.

This group of men and women, clad in azure Taoist robes, were mostly of Qi Cultivation level, their faces full of naive youth. Following behind the two Ning Family members, they greeted in unison:

"Junior disciples greet the Taoist!"

Within the Green Pond Sect, those Foundation Establishment cultivators who hold the position of Peak Master are addressed as such; otherwise, they are called Taoist—for in Green Pond Sect, Foundation Establishment cultivators are not qualified to be grand elders.

Li Xuanfeng found this a bit strange; in bygone years his family treated Green Pond Sect members with utmost respect, never daring disobedience. When he went to the Xiao Family's Guanyun Peak, even an Immortal Sect servant dared to order the clan leader of a minor family about.

Back then, the junior cultivator who bore the bow as tribute had now become a senior among Green Pond Sect members. Li Xuanfeng gave a short laugh and nodded gently.

Yet in the eyes of these fledgling Qi Cultivators, Li Xuanfeng, sheathed in black-gold armor of exquisite design, wearing armor and robe, with hawk-like brows and a pair of black-gold eyes shining with golden gleam, and at his back the fierce longbow hanging from his golden robe—was imposing beyond compare!

He merely stood there, exuding the air of a veteran commander who had guarded the frontier for years. His voice was slightly hoarse, his gaze dominating all sides; those who stared long at that Golden Bow found their eyes stung.

"I've heard this senior was born with innate divine strength, able to wrestle tigers and wolves... The legitimate heir of a Sword Path Family…yet he forsook the sword and does not train in it. With only the Golden Bow in his hand... he slaughtered the scattered demons of the Southern Border to oblivion."

The youth whispered among themselves, full of admiration. Even though they were disciples of the Immortal Sect, Foundation Establishment was not a certainty even for them. Competition within the sect was fierce, forced assignments to garrison outposts frequent. To become one like Li Xuanfeng was no ordinary feat.

Li Xuanfeng glanced over; the numbers were complete. Only then did he pat the Golden Beast Black-Faced Belt at his waist and take out a Jade Ship.

This Spiritual Shuttle was at first no larger than a thumb, quickly expanding as emerald light welled up, transforming into a grand ship more than ten zhang long, swaying gently in the air.

"Changbi Flowing Cloud Ship."

This ship was not Li Xuanfeng's own; it was lent by Ning Wan. She had asked Li Xuanfeng, learning he possessed no vehicle for travel, and that crossing Yue Country with ten-some people would be too much for his strength alone.

She was currently nurturing her Divine Skills, secluded in breakthrough, and therefore had no use for the vehicle, so she lent it out.

The Green Pond Sect disciples were accustomed to Spirit Boats and took no particular notice, boarding one by one. It was spacious enough; the two Ning Family brothers naturally steered the ship, while Li Xuanfeng stood at the prow, gazing down at Cloud Peak.

"A shame I must bring so many, and cannot delay; I must first finish my assigned task before returning home... Otherwise, traveling to Salty Lake from here, I could make a detour home."

Watching the weaving mists above, as clouds rose and fell and light alternated with shadow, he swiftly passed over Quanwu Mountain, arriving at Libu Prefecture. Up front, the Ning Family elder brother called out:

"General, up ahead is Wubu Prefecture!"

Li Xuanfeng knew his meaning well—his own grandnephew, Li Xizhi, should be guarding this town. Yet Li Xuanfeng, ferrying this group of juniors, knew a casual stopover might cause misunderstandings, so he simply said:

"Keep flying on, do not stop."

"Yes, sir."

The two replied promptly, continuing to guide the Spirit Boat. Li Xuanfeng slowly regulated his breath.

He cultivated the Golden Radiance Technique, a third grade cultivation technique acquired from the Ji Family, a method trained among the collateral lines of the Situ Family. Compared to the direct lineages of the Immortal Sect, it was not as fine.

Although after Foundation Establishment, Ning Hemian had found him a fourth grade technique within the sect, also 'Engraved Gold Stone', called the Golden Stone Lofty Sky Method, which can be cultivated up to Foundation Establishment Peak, boosting his progress. Yet his Immortal Foundation was already forged, and compared to those who had established Foundation through the true Golden Stone Lofty Sky Method, he fell slightly short.

Li Xuanfeng was indifferent. For him, the resonance between Immortal Foundation and cultivation was already at its limit; more or less made no difference.

'Engraved Gold Stone' is a cultivation method of Tang Jin Sect; its qi can break formations, crack mountains, destroy enemy magic artifacts, skilled at piercing with point to break surface. The more foes slain, tempered by blood, the stronger it grows.

And Li Xuanfeng had slain countless foes in Southern Border over the decades! In his early years, he suffered many wounds, and with the Spirit Armor on his body, he became fiercer still. The number of Foundation Establishment cultivators dead at his hands was already in the double digits.

Within his Sea of Qi Acupoint, gold and red radiance boiled in chaotic tumult. By last year, he had hammered it to the utmost possible. He brimmed with self-assurance; out of ten points of certainty, fourteen or fifteen came from this Sea of Qi alone.

'Yuansu Perfected Person promoted me, likely because he saw this point...'

Through all that happened in recent years, Li Xuanfeng faintly understood: Yuansu Perfected Person, Ning Tiaoxiao, needed someone among Foundation Establishment practitioners—sufficiently strong enough to crush small fry—to handle affairs he could not personally appear for.

This Foundation Establishment cultivator must be strong, must be loyal, must find advance hopeless, must have weaknesses held by Yuansu... and even, at critical moments, be willing to forsake his body.

Yuansu Perfected Person, shrewd beyond measure, truly supreme; he had discerned Li Xuanfeng's character thoroughly—not only marrying a clan daughter to him, but also placing Ning Family members close, as subordinates or colleagues… These Ning Family members hadn't even realized, but soon grew to treat Li Xuanfeng with genuine sincerity.

"Indeed, one who has cultivated for centuries… adept in many methods… needing neither Divine Skills nor Spell, yet still bending hearts as he wishes."

Li Xuanfeng, clad in the black-gold armor his wife had procured, stood in silence, gazing intently at the sinking sun before him.

"Boss, we're out of the County City!"

The elder Ning brother's brow was faintly beaded with sweat, grinning broadly with white teeth; the younger was a bit shy, regarding Li Xuanfeng with reverent admiration.

"Understood."

Li Xuanfeng responded. The Ning Family brothers steered the ship for him, calling him General and Boss with every breath, unswervingly loyal; Li Xuanfeng was not easily deceived. The brothers had followed him for decades, and though earlier he suspected they had come to keep watch over him, more than once they had risked their lives to save him. Already, he counted them as his own people.

Nowadays, as long as Li Xuanfeng asks his heart and cannot bear to abandon wife or subordinates, Yuansu Perfected Person's aim has long been achieved. Li Xuanfeng looked all around—family, wife, gratitude—besides service to Yuansu, there was no other road left to walk.