Family Cultivation: I Become a Mirror-Chapter 227 - 211: Absolutely Impossible

Lijing Town.

Autumn rains once again drizzled across the land for another year, turning the mountainside forests into a carpet of gold and deep red as the leaves fell, leaving the woods in such tranquility that the whooshing sound of a figure darting through could be heard from afar. The young man in a black robe with a sword strapped on his back had thin lips pressed together, his eyes slightly slender, his cheeks gaunt, exuding a chill and ruthless air.

Li Yuanjiao leaped onto the slender treetops, causing the branches to sway gently, and then hung in the air for a moment as light as a swallow before offsetting his step and floating back to the ground, splashing a few drops of chilly autumn rain.

"The 'River Rapids Step' after all is a third-grade movement technique, very difficult to cultivate. I've heard that only Uncle Ling in our family managed to master it in just two years, while the rest took five or six... In three years, I've only grasped a few of its movements."

Li Yuanjiao slowly closed his eyes and let his spiritual sense wander around him. Now eighteen years old, he had broken through the Yujing Wheel earlier this year. By his reckoning, he should be able to break through Qi cultivation by around the age of twenty.

These past three years have been relatively peaceful for the Li family. The Xiao Family had rebuilt the ancient Lidao, and the number of loose cultivators passing through had increased, most of them Fetal Breathing cultivators with the occasional Qi Cultivator among them. Those passing by Lijing Town would stop to rest, and if they were clan cultivators from other families, they would sometimes chat with members of the Li family, exchanging news and resources.

The Fetal Breathing demonic beasts of Da Li Mountain usually lacked spiritual intelligence and still roamed beyond its bounds as usual. The cultivators of the Li family had increased in number, not only guarding the area but even patrolling the nearby woods. A third layer Qi Cultivation demonic beast had sneaked into the town over the past three years, secretly preying on people until Li Xuanxuan dispatched An Zhiyan to find it within three days and exterminate it.

After practicing a few sword movements, Li Yuanjiao's ears perked up as he saw a middle-aged man descend upon the wind in front of him. The man stood straight and tall with bright, spirited eyes, his grey robe spotless, his face donning a slight smile as he warmly said:

"Your mastery of the movement technique isn't bad."

"Yuanjiao pays respects to Uncle Cong!"

Li Yuanjiao sheathed his sword and bowed respectfully, responding:

"Thank you for your compliment, Uncle, but Yuanjiao feels like he is merely playing the lute to a cow."

This man was none other than Li Xuanling. Having broken through Qi Cultivation earlier this year and cultivating the River True Essence, he emerged from seclusion as the fourth Qi Cultivator of the direct lineage. He was the most proficient in the 'River Rapids Step'. Pointing out the deficiencies in Li Yuanjiao's earlier techniques, he corrected him and then smiled and said:

"It seems you have been diligently cultivating these past few years. You broke through the Yujing Wheel last year; if you can break through Qi cultivation before turning twenty, you have a good chance of aiming for Foundation Establishment."

Seeing Li Yuanjiao nodding respectfully, Li Xuanling sighed and continued:

"Both you and Qinghong were granted Talisman Seeds and possess Spirit Apertures. Only Brother Feng can rival you two. You are all seeds for Foundation Establishment. Do not slack off."

After a brief conversation, the rain in the mountains grew heavier, falling among the trees through the pale gold Xuan Guang Great Formation. Li Yuanjiao followed Li Xuanling on the stone-paved mountain path and into a courtyard.

Li Xuanling was now a Qi Cultivator with True Yuan enveloping him, so not a drop of rain touched him, while Li Yuanjiao's sleeves were slightly wet. As they arrived at the side courtyard, they saw Chen Donghe holding a Jade Slip, reading under the eaves with great comfort.

Chen Donghe, at the Third Layer of Qi Cultivation and now forty years old, looked merely middle-aged with no signs of aging, thanks to his early cultivation success. He looked up, smiled, and cupped his hands in greeting:

"So it's Xuanling who has arrived."

Li Xuanling laughed heartily and replied:

"I haven't seen my brother-in-law for years. I was in seclusion for a breakthrough in the previous years, and after emerging, you had gone to Huaqian Mountain. Having finally returned, of course, I wanted to see you."

Lijing Mountain was no famous peak or great river, with limited spiritual energy, sufficient to support Fetal Breathing Cultivators but not so many Qi Cultivators. With so many Qi Cultivators in the Li family now, resources had become scarce.

Li Tongya was currently making his breakthrough to Foundation Establishment, leaving the entire Meichi Peak Cave Mansion to himself, which made the remaining Lijing Peak barely sufficient to sustain Li Xuanfeng and Li Xuanxuan. Now with the addition of Li Xuanling, the spiritual energy became even thinner, so Chen Donghe was dispatched to Huaqian Mountain and hence rarely returned.

The three entered the courtyard where Chen Donghe stepped forward and whispered:

"Dharma Sword."

Grasping the hint, Li Xuanling and Li Yuanjiao stored their Dharma Swords in their Storage Bags, for Dharma Swords were generally forged from sharp metallic substances, and in the side courtyard were ordinary people like Li Jingtian, whose mortal frames could easily be harmed by the sharp qi.

Three people entered the room, where only a small table was placed beside the window. Li Jingtian, with a jade hairpin in her hair, was kneeling beside a little girl who leaned against the window, gazing at the autumn rain. Hearing them, she turned her head and saw Li Xuanling enter. She said warmly,

"Ling, you've returned."

Li Xuanling laughed heartily, took a step forward, and pulled the little girl over. The child obediently lifted her head with rosy cheeks and said sweetly,

"Uncle."

The girl before him was Li Jingtian's daughter, named Li Qingxiao. Now over two, nearly three years old, she was quite well-behaved. Li Xuanling watched Li Jingtian take Li Qingxiao away. Li Yuanjiao and Chen Donghe both took their seats, with Chen Donghe asking with some confusion,

"The family called me back this time, I wonder what important matters there are..."

Li Xuanling nodded solemnly and said,

"Since father entered seclusion in the Cave Mansion on Meichi Mountain a year ago, all the spiritual energy throughout Meichi Mountain began to ascend toward the summit, even causing clouds to churn both inside and outside the mansion. It was quite extraordinary."

"In another year, the sound of trickling water emerged from within the mansion, and at midnight the sound of flowing rivers could be heard. Clear water seeped from the brick crevices outside, glimmering everywhere."

Chen Donghe, hearing for the first time of the phenomena associated with a breakthrough in Foundation Establishment, was full of longing. He cultivated the same "River Qi Decision" and thus listened with particular intensity, exclaiming,

"Everyone says that achieving Immortal Foundation is when true wonders manifest, and it is truly so!"

Li Xuanling drank some tea and glanced at Li Yuanjiao, who was similarly full of anticipation. He spoke in a low voice,

"The night before, the Cave Mansion became completely silent, even the dew on the ground ceased to form. It's been two days now with no sign."

"What?"

Chen Donghe raised his eyebrows, slightly shocked, murmuring,

"It must be a success... With a character like Second Uncle, failure is not an option."

Chen Donghe had always held great reverence for Li Tongya, who never acted without certainty. Since Li Tongya went into seclusion, Chen Donghe had never contemplated the possibility of his failure. The Li family had no precedent for a breakthrough in Foundation Establishment, and now, faced with uncertain news, Chen Donghe felt a void inside him, momentarily at a loss for words.

In a moment of reverie, Chen Donghe's mind filled with memories of the past, his cultivation of the "River Qi Decision," his practice of the "Mysterious Water Sword Technique," and his day and night diligence in training.

Back when he was a seven-year-old child, Chen Donghe kneeled down in the courtyard on a chilly autumn day, with a biting cold in the air. Li Tongya, seated at the head, smiled at Li Xiangping and said,

"This child is steady and reliable, he could be of use."

The young Chen Donghe looked up, meeting the calm and profound eyes of Li Tongya, feeling a mixture of admiration and respect as he thought to himself,

"I also want to be such a character."

Chen Donghe suddenly realized that his calm demeanor, his unflappable poise, his deliberate actions, were all in imitation of this man who commanded respect and admiration from so many and instilled awe among the families by the lake.

This realization left Chen Donghe both stunned and relieved. He gently picked up the teacup, sipped the tea, and masked the astonishment that rose in his heart.

The possibility of Li Tongya failing in his breakthrough circled in his mind for a while. Chen Donghe then laughed,

"Impossible!"