Li Yuan stood knee-deep in the cool water of the spirit lake, sleeves rolled to his elbows as he adjusted the final formation flag. Crafting yet another Heaven-Nurturing Lake Refinement Array.
Well… Crafting was not quite the right word for what he had done. The difficult work of actually crafting the Formation Plate, flags and other auxiliary components had been completed long ago when he upgrade his own private Spirit Lake inside his Ancient Spatial Ring.
Compared to that, the work here was merely assembling those components into precise order, and viola! The Heaven-Nurturing Lake Refinement Array was ready to go.
All that remained was the fuel.
Li Yuan lifted the final storage pouch and turned it over. A torrent of glittering spirit stones fell out and piled atop the formation plate. A total of 185,000 Low-grade Spirit Stones. More than enough to upgrade this low-grade lake.
Satisfied, Li Yuan finally pushed himself away from the plate and swam toward the shore. The water rippled around him as he climbed onto the bank. And the moment he sat down, the fatigue hit him.
For the last week, he had been working non-stop in creating Formations for the clan. And finally, all this work was beginning to take a physical and mental toll on him. He leaned back on his palms and exhaled slowly, staring at the lake.
The Art of Formation was not like swinging a sword or circulating Qi through the meridians. Everything in setting up the formation demanded precise calculation. A single mistake in the structure could destroy days of work, or worse, cause a backlash capable of killing the formation master outright.
And he had not merely been upgrading lakes. There was more to this that he intended to leave behind as a gift for his family.
Still, it had to be done soon as his return to the sect was drawing close. Li Yuan lifted his hand toward the formation plate, but just as he was about to activate the array… a faint ripple passed through the air beside him, and his grandfather appeared.
The old man stood quietly at the edge of the lake, draped in a heavy black robe with a deep hood concealing most of his face. Only the edge of his beard and the glint of his eyes were visible beneath the shadow.
His gaze moved slowly across the formation, and there was a strange expression on his face. A mixture of joy, pride, melancholy and nostalgia.
"Go on," the old man said softly.
Li Yuan nodded and his fingers formed a quick hand seal, awakening the formation in an instant.
The mound of spirit stones erupted with light as the array began devouring them. Lines of script across the Flags ignited one after another, forming a brilliant lattice that spread across the lake's surface as the calm water began to churn violently.
Spiritual energy surged upward from all the spirit stones and the lake suddenly released a blinding light that he had to shield his eyes from as it finally got to work.
Li Yuan opened his eyes slightly and watched as the array began its work. Upgrading yet another one of their Low-grade lakes.
Beside him, his grandfather was silent for a long moment before he finally spoke up. "With this… we will have a total of six mid-grade spirit lakes."
His voice carried a faint trace of disbelief. As if he himself couldn't believe just how far they've come.
Li Yuan understood why. Before his arrival the Li clan had been reduced to possessing only a single mid-grade spirit lake. That single lake had become the backbone of the clan's cultivation resources.
After he arrived, not only did he take two mid-grade lakes from the Qin family after crushing them, over the past week, he had upgraded two more low-grade lakes using this same formation. And now, this lake was the third.
When the process finished, the Li clan would possess six mid-grade spirit lakes. Not to mention the many new Low-grade spirit lakes that were birthed from the upgrade process.
This was a resource base many regional powers would envy. And that did not even include the many spirit lakes said to exist deeper within the Ashen Ridge Mountain Range.
Though for now, the clan had agreed to wait a while before going after those lakes. His parents, his uncle, his granduncle, and his grandfather himself, had all collectively decided that they would not expand into the Ashen Ridge until his grandfather broke through to Golden Core Realm.
The Barbarian Tribes living south to that region were not enemies to take lightly. And he did not want to lose any family members needlessly, when just waiting a few years would improve their strength massively.
He stretched his arms slightly and said casually, "Save more spirit stones. And when I return from the sect the next time, I'll upgrade even more lakes for the family."
Hiring a formation master for such work would cost 10,000 to 20,000 spirit stones per lake. A ridiculous fee for what was, in truth, only a few hours of work once the preparation was done.
But if he did it… the clan did not have to pay and could instead save that wealth for another Foundation Establishment Pill, or cultivation resources for the younglings.
His grandfather nodded slowly, eyes still fixed on the blazing formation. "Once I reach Golden Core," the old man said quietly, "I will be able to hunt second-grade spirit beasts freely. At that point, gathering wealth for mid-grade lakes will not be difficult."
Li Yuan snorted softly. "Sure. But don't try to break through while I'm gone."
The old man finally smiled faintly beneath the hood. "I am not so impatient, child." He said, his hand stroking his beard thoughtfully. "If you possess some method that guarantees my ascension, then even if I must wait until my deathbed, I will do so."
Li Yuan nodded. He knew that with his Halo ability, he would be able to detect whether his grandfather would succeed in his ascension or not, and keep checking once a day until he found the day where his grandfather would succeed, and then give him the go ahead to Ascend.
With that, they simply returned to watching the formation at work. Him squinting at it while the old man stared straight ahead, not really seeming to care that doing such might blind him.
Eventually his grandfather shifted slightly. "So… these three lakes you upgraded recently…"
Li Yuan glanced at him. "Yes. What about them?"
"I noticed that they form a triangle." The old man said. "A triangle surrounding the Li clan main estate. Is there a reason for that?"
Li Yuan smiled faintly at those words. "You noticed? No one else did. Or they did and didn't think anything about it. You're the first one to inquire about it."
His grandfather chuckled softly. "I remember when our family upgraded its second spirit lake. I was still young back then" He said, his voice carried a distant nostalgia. "I watched the formation master work. And I remember feeling very angry afterward when I heard how much he charged for the work.."
Li Yuan raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"He worked for less than an hour," the old man said dryly. "And then demanded fifteen thousands of spirit stones."
His grandfather's gaze finally shifted back to Li Yuan. "But I've watched you this past week. And you worked far harder than what would be required to upgrade three lakes. So tell me, Yuan'er. What exactly are you building?"
Li Yuan leaned back on the bank and looked up at the sky. "I wanted this to be a surprise for the clan, but I suppose someone was bound to figure it out eventually." He said and turned his head toward his grandfather. "I've spent this past week working on a grand formation."
His grandfather's brows lifted slightly and he gestured for him to go ahead.
"The three lakes are merely the anchor points." He said and pointed toward the clan estate in the distance. "The formation gathers all the spiritual energy produced by those lakes and channels it toward the Li clan estate."
"All of it?" His grandfather asked, stroking his beard thoughtfully.
"All of it." He confirmed. "These lakes would not produce any spirit stones for the clan as their entire energy would be sublimated by the Grand Array."
"I see. And what then?" His grandfather asked.
"The grand array will basically lock the Qi in there. And while it might take a while, I judge that within a few months, the ambient Qi density inside the clan estate will increase thirtyfold."
The old man hummed slowly. "I see." Then he glanced sideways at Li Yuan. "The Foundation Establishment cultivators in the clan will not be pleased. Many of them were hoping to cultivate privately inside those lakes."
"I know." Li Yuan said. "Have Uncle Li Tian tell them to endure it for a few years. This Array indeed won't benefit Foundation Establishment cultivators much. But it will be a huge advantage for Qi Condensation cultivators within the clan."
After all, if the Li clan intended to conquer and settle the Ashen Ridge Mountains one day, they would need far more cultivators than they currently possessed.
And increasing the ambient Qi in the main estate would give them just that. A large number of powerful Qi Condensation cultivators.
His grandfather gave him a dry look. "This will certainly benefit the hundreds of new cultivators we gained recently." He said, referring to the flood of new Body Tempering disciples accepted after the Meridian Awakening Ceremony.
The number of talent disciples taken in was so high in fact, that their number of Body Tempering Cultivators in the clan had already tripled.
Unlike what his uncle had guessed, most of the newly awakened cultivators chose to join the Li family instead of going their own way.
This was primarily because of the resources his family promised. But also because up till last year, most of the people who awakened their children were wealthy merchants, minor nobles, or court officials. People who had ambitions for starting their own cultivation families.
But unlike last year, a large portion of the children who awakened this year came from peasant families. Meaning low ambitions, and little to no resources should they start their cultivation journey on their own.
So yes, the main fear his uncle had of producing a large number of rogue cultivators did not come true, and almost all the children with good talent ended up joining his family, and have already entered the Body Tempering Stage by now.
Eventually, those cultivators will break through to Qi Condensation realm, and once there, they would shoot rapidly through their cultivation thanks to the large amount of Ambient Qi in the air in Li clan estate.
In Li Yuan's opinion, these Spirit Lakes were better suited to helping the hundreds of Qi Condensation Realm cultivators in the clan than a few Foundation Establishment cultivators.
"Is that all this Grand Array does?" His grandfather asked, and this time, it was Li Yuan's turn to grin as a wide, dangerous smile formed on his face.
"No." He said as he pushed himself upright and pointed toward the formation. "With a single command, this Qi Gathering and Containment Array could turn into a Grand Killing Array."
The old man's fingers stopped stroking his beard. "Oh?"
"The array will release Sword Qi throughout the entire formation field, under direct control of the Formation user." He said. "And this is not ordinary sword Qi, but Sword Qi that I've infused with my own Sword Intent."
His grandfather's eyes sharpened instantly as he was the only one in the clan who knew the true limits of his Sword Intent.
"Truly?" He asked.
Li Yuan nodded. "If careless… even an Early Golden Core cultivator would die inside this formation."
Silence fell at his words. And then… for only the second time in his life, Li Yuan saw his grandfather smile widely. And the old man looked downright terrifying when he did that.
"Good." His grandfather said, and returned to stroking his beard with immense satisfaction.
Li Yuan rolled his eyes at the old man's grandstanding. "Well, if there's nothing else," he said while standing, "I'm going to sleep. The last week's work has left me exhausted."
"Of course, of course." His grandfather waved dismissively. "Go to bed already. The sooner you plow the fields, the sooner they'll bear fruit."
Li Yuan nearly tripped at those words before he paused and slowly turned his head toward his grandfather who looked entirely innocent.
Li Yuan stared at the old man flatly. "If Zi Mo decides to shear off your beard for those words," he said calmly, "I will not stop her."
The old man's expression instantly changed. "Li Yuan, wai—" Before he could finish, Li Yuan activated Veil of Borrowed Heaven and vanished from the sight and senses completely. Leaving the old man standing alone beside the blazing formation, one hand still resting on his magnificent beard.
And for the first time since Li Yuan's arrival… Grand Elder Li, the previous patriarch of the Li clan, suddenly looked very, very worried.
—————
Li Yuan stepped into the courtyard just as the morning sun crept over the tiled rooftops of the Li clan estate. Nearly the entire family had gathered to see him off.
Elders stood together beneath the shade of the pavilions, younger disciples lined the stone pathways, and servants moved quietly in the background carrying the last of the cargo toward the flying ship waiting beyond the gates.
Now came the harder part. Saying goodbye.
The first person he approached was Aunt Meimei. She stood near one of the pavilion pillars, arms crossed but eyes sparkling with curiosity as he approached her.
Li Yuan didn't waste time as he pulled a small jade box from his spatial ring and placed it gently in her hands. "For you," he said.
Aunt Meimei blinked in surprise and opened the lid. Inside rested a pale pink pill that emitted a faint, fragrant mist. "What is it?" she asked suspiciously.
Li Yuan rubbed the back of his neck. "A beauty refinement pill. It improves the… ahem… body's proportions and enhances natural beauty."
For a moment she simply stared at the pill. Then… she squealed. The sound was so loud that several nearby clan members jumped.
"My dear nephew!" She screamed and before Li Yuan could react, she lunged forward and wrapped him in a crushing embrace. His face disappeared instantly into the soft valley of her enormous bosom as she squeezed him tightly.
"You're the best nephew in the entire world!" She shouted as Li Yuan struggled for air. He really might die of snu-snu today.
But alas, just as he started to see the pearly gates of Valhalla, his aunt finally released him, her hands now clutching the jade box like a priceless treasure.
He coughed awkwardly and quickly moved on. The next person waiting in line was his grandaunt. She stood with her hands clasped behind her back, foot tapping impatiently against the stone floor.
The moment Li Yuan approached, she narrowed her eyes at him.
"So," she began and Li Yuan sighed inwardly at what was about to come. "When exactly are you planning to give me seven great-grandchildren?" She asked, her gaze drifting meaningfully beyond the courtyard wall. Specifically… toward the direction of the flying ship, where Zi Mo was waiting for him.
Thanks to his parents, word had already spread throughout the clan that he had somehow ended up with a Golden Core cultivator as his dual cultivation partner. And ever since then, every elder in the family seemed determined to 'subtly' remind him that he should secure the relationship permanently.
Preferably by producing descendants with Zi Mo. As if that was even possible.
He was still a Qi Condensation cultivator. And she was a Golden Core expert. The odds of someone at his realm impregnating someone at her level were probably lower than surviving a Nascent Soul tribulation.
Unless, or course, the Qi Condensation cultivator in question possessed heaven-defying Fortune. Which… ahem. Maybe he should start wearing condom. Was that even a thing in this world?
His grandaunt went on about the importance of having capable descendants until he couldn't take it anymore and pulled out a large wooden box from his spatial ring before setting it on the stone floor in front of her.
His grandaunt raised an eyebrow. "And what is this?" She asked, folding her arms. "If this is a bribe to make me stop talking about those great-grandchildren, then let me tell you, it will not work."
Li Yuan rolled his eyes and opened the box. Inside lay a large formation plate, dozens of formation flags, several auxiliary components, and a carefully written jade slip.
The moment she saw it, her expression changed into confusion. "This is…?" She asked, scrutinising the formation components.
Li Yuan crouched beside the box and took out the Jade slip before handing it over to her. "This is an agricultural formation I made." He explained. "It covers about ten acres of farmland and draws power from a low-grade spirit lake. If maintained throughout the full growth cycle of our spirit rice…" He paused. "…the rice will evolve from Silver-grade Spirit Rice to Golden-grade Spirit Rice."
For a moment his grandaunt froze.
Then she leaned forward slowly and began examining the formation components with intense concentration. Her earlier irritation vanished completely.
As the person responsible for all spirit plant cultivation in the Li clan, she understood exactly what he had just handed her.
Golden Spirit Rice sold for dozens of times the price of silver-grade. So if the formation worked as described…
The clan's agricultural revenue would improve greatly.
She said nothing further. Instead she simply began inspecting the formation plate with a scrutinising gaze. And Li Yuan took advantage of the silence to slip away.
Next in line stood his granduncle. And the old man grinned widely the moment he saw Li Yuan approach.
"Well, well," he drawled. "Did you come to say goodbye to your poor old granduncle?"
Li Yuan snorted and tossed him a jade bottle. Inside was a carefully refined cultivation pill. "With this," Li Yuan said, "you should be able to break through a minor realm in your cultivation."
His granduncle's eyes widened slightly as he became serious and examined the pill more carefully.
After all, with his granduncle's talent, it might take him as much as an entire decade to reach the next minor realm. So this pill was of immense value to him.
Not to mention, if Li Yuan could refine another Ten-Thousand Vitality Reversion Pill in the future, then his granduncle would also have the possibility to break through to Golden Core Realm.
Finally, his granduncle laughed and pulled him into a side hug. "Hahaha! This is indeed a gift worthy of your granduncle." He said, and then he leaned closer and lowered his voice. "But tell me honestly… when you reach the Nine Peak Sect, are you planning to build yourself a proper harem? Let me tell you. Back in my day, you weren't called a proper man until you had three wives, a dozen concubines and—"
A hand suddenly reached over and yanked his granduncle's ear.
"Ow! Ow! Ow!" His granduncle shouted and his grandaunt had appeared behind him like an angry spirit.
"Stop filling the boy's head with nonsense you old coot!" She snapped and Li Yuan shook his head helplessly and moved on.
He distributed gifts to several other family members—talismans, pills, spirit tools, and cultivation manuals—before finally reaching the two people standing quietly near the centre of the courtyard.
His parents.
The moment his mother saw him approach, her composure shattered. She burst into tears and rushed forward, pulling him into a fierce embrace.
"My son…" She sniffed loudly against his shoulder. "You must eat properly. And don't skip meals. And make good friends in the sect. And don't drink too much wine. And don't fight people stronger than you. And if anyone bullies you—"
"Mother…" He sighed and gently patted her back while giving his father a helpless look.
It took several minutes before his mother finally released him. And Li Yuan hesitated for a moment before he pulled out a carefully preserved spirit herb.
A delicate plant with pale golden leaves and faint mist swirling around its roots.
"This is Heaven's Meridian Cleansing Orchid," he said softly and the courtyard gasped as everyone stared at the herb in utter shock.
Their reaction was understandable. After all, this was a herb that would gradually cleanse impurities from a cultivator's meridians and slightly improve their cultivation speed.
And treasures that could improve a person's cultivation speed, even by a small bit, were incredibly rare and went for a lot of spirit stones in auction houses.
Such a treasure would be considered extremely valuable for any Foundation Establishment cultivator. But Li Yuan still felt it wasn't enough.
His mother shook her head immediately and returned the herb back to him. "You should keep this for yourself." She said. "It'll help you far more than it would help me."
"I already used one," Li Yuan replied calmly, and he wasn't even lying. "The herb will not work on me anymore." Only with some more persuasion did she reluctantly accept the gift.
Finally he turned to his father. And from his spatial ring he withdrew two artefacts. A sword and a shield, both radiating powerful spiritual fluctuations.
"Zi Mo asked me to give these to you," Li Yuan said. "To ask for your blessing for our union."
Zi Mo was a powerful Golden Core cultivator and far older than his own parents. For that reason, she was unwilling to bow before them in order to seek their blessings. But that didn't mean she couldn't still show respect in other ways.
"Yuan'er, these…" His father stammered, looking at the two artefacts in shock.
"Yes. As you've already guessed, these are Peak Second-Grade artefacts," he explained. "With these two artefacts, along with the Mistfang Direwolf and the Ironback Scorpion Gu, you should be able to hold your ground even against a Peak Foundation Establishment cultivator."
His father accepted the weapons silently and then nodded. "Elder Zi Mo did not need to bother with such gifts. You two already have our blessings."
Then, he pulled Li Yuan into a firm embrace. Unlike his mother, his father did not cry. He simply said quietly, "The entire clan believes in you, Li Yuan. Don't worry about the clan, and go far in your path to cultivation."
Li Yuan nodded, feeling a tightness in his chest as his father released him. Then, with one last glance toward the rest of his clan, he finally turned and walked toward the gate.
The flying ship waited outside. Its deck was already piled high with barrels, boxes, spirit herbs, artefacts, and various supplies—gifts his family had insisted he take with him. Some were meant for him. While others for Zi Mo, and a few for Rou Lin.
Zi Mo and Rou Lin were already waiting aboard when he stepped onto the deck. He gave Zi Mo a small nod and she placed her hand on the formation plate, activating the ship's formation, making the vessel rise smoothly into the sky.
A moment later, they were speeding away into the sky. And Li Yuan stood at the railing as the Li clan estate slowly shrank beneath them.
He raised a hand and waved as the figures below became smaller and smaller until the estate became a tiny cluster of rooftops, then a dot, and then… nothing at all.
Li Yuan watched the horizon quietly. And in the depths of his heart, he could only hope—
That his family would remain safe while he was gone.