Family Cultivation: I Become a Mirror-Chapter 119 - 110: Ore Vein

Li Tongya had been in closed-door cultivation for over a year when he heard a soft noise outside the stone door and, exhaling a white stream of Spiritual Energy, he said in a deep voice:

"Come in."

The stone door immediately began to creak as a teenager who bore a striking resemblance to Li Tongya walked in. It was none other than Li Xuanling who said respectfully:

"Father, the people from the Lu Family have come again."

Li Tongya shook his head in resignation and said:

"Enough hiding. It's not a solution to keep dodging them, let's go out and meet them."

The people from the Lu Family had come three times in the past year, all seeking Li Tongya. Because his cultivation level had increased significantly, Li Tongya had been reluctant to show himself, but Lu Sisi was persistent, coming every few months. Li Tongya feared that if he remained out of sight too much longer, the Lu Family would suspect he was dead and start harboring ulterior motives.

After all, Qi Cultivation could not compare to Foundation Establishment where one could live off Spiritual Energy alone. Every ten days or half a month, it was necessary to drink some water and move about. It was unheard of to remain in completely isolated cultivation for years. One or two times might be acceptable, but with frequent occurrences, suspicions could arise.

"The last time I met someone from the Lu Family was over three years ago. At that time, I was at the Third Layer of Qi Cultivation, and now I'm at the Fifth Layer. Though the stages of Qi Cultivation require grinding effort and spending three to five years on each level is considered fast, with a little luck, I might just scrape by..."

"Ling'er, did Lu Sisi say anything?"

Walking alongside his son, Li Tongya asked, and Li Xuanling replied in a solemn voice:

"That Lu Sisi is quite arrogant. He doesn't consider any of us Fetal Breathing cultivators worth his attention, refusing to speak with us."

Li Tongya let out a soft laugh and replied:

"He's still but a Qi Cultivator. If he had established his foundation, wouldn't he be arrogantly insufferable? In the past, Xiao Chuting, a senior at the peak of Foundation Establishment, was willing to befriend a Fetal Breathing Cultivator. It seems clear who is the better person."

As he spoke, Li Tongya's curiosity piqued. According to Zhang Yun from the Jin Yu Sect, Xiao Chuting had become a Zifu Monk, but it remained unknown how many years he'd been keeping a low profile, waiting for the right opportunity to cause a significant upheaval!

"Xiao Chuting has lived for over two hundred years. In his early life, he single-handedly brought the brink-of-collapse Xiao Family to govern the entirety of Li Xia County and quietly achieved Zifu without anyone noticing; he is no ordinary man, and his plans must be earth-shattering. My Li Family has close ties with the Xiao Family; who knows what the future holds..."

Lost in thought, Li Tongya hardly realized he had arrived at the main courtyard. Lifting his gaze, he saw Lu Sisi leisurely sipping tea in the hall, with a spirited young man sitting beside him, wrapped in a luxurious fox fur.

"Senior Lu!"

Li Tongya greeted with a smile and a bow. Lu Sisi stood to meet him, but abruptly stopped, exclaiming:

"Fifth Layer of Qi Cultivation?!"

He, Lu Sisi, was only at the Sixth Layer, and in three years without meeting, Li Tongya was almost at his level.

Li Tongya laughed heartily and explained:

"The last time we parted, Senior Lu, I was on the verge of reaching the Fourth Layer. Soon after, I found a Spirit Fruit in the mountains and, after more than three years, I've made a breakthrough and have just concluded my retreat!"

Naturally, Li Tongya was fabricating the story, as when he last met Lu Sisi, he had just reached the Third Layer and had now been at the brink of the next breakthrough for nearly three years.

Lu Sisi, however, seemed to understand and found Li Tongya's explanation more reasonable. A breakthrough of two levels in a little over three years could be put down to mere timing. He muttered begrudgingly:

"What good fortune!"

Li Tongya smiled faintly as Lu Sisi introduced the young man next to him:

"This is the newest Qi Cultivator from my Lu Family, named Lu Yuanlu!"

Li Tongya quickly nodded and bowed:

"Pleased to meet you."

The young man, barely in his twenties and full of pride, waved his hand and said:

"Pleased to meet you."

Li Tongya was taken aback for a moment, as Lu Sisi beside him let out a wry smile, not expecting Lu Yuanlu to lift his chin and declare loudly:

"I have heard that Brother Tongya is highly skilled in swordsmanship. I'd like to exchange pointers someday!"

No sooner had he spoken, he lifted his wrist, and a faint blue True Yuan enveloped the sword at his waist. Then Li Tongya, caught between laughter and tears, understood.

"This fellow is flaunting his Orthodox Law cultivation, having refined True Yuan that differs from the ordinary Spiritual Energy!"

After all, a Qi Cultivator who had cultivated Orthodox Law and refined genuine nature's Spiritual Energy could handle two or three ordinary cultivators with ease, justifying his pride. Li Tongya smiled and bowed:

"Oh, Brother Lu, you have enviable True Yuan indeed!"

Lu Yuanlu nodded and smiled smugly, while Lu Sisi beside him exhibited an embarrassed expression, unsure what to say.

Gazing at this person, Li Tongya suddenly remembered another foolish member of the Lu Family he had met at Guanyun Peak, who seemed to have died at the hands of the Ji Family. Speaking softly, Li Tongya said:

"At Guanyun Peak, I met a friend who cultivated using inferior Spiritual Energy. I wonder if that Lu Yuanping is..."

"Indeed, he's my elder brother!"

"Oh? Brother Yuanlu appears to far surpass your brother Yuanping."

Lu Yuanlu's brows raised, just about to speak, when Lu Sisi, unable to restrain himself any longer, feared that allowing him to continue would reveal too much, hastily interjected:

"Yuanlu!"

Seeing Lu Yuanlu looking at him in confusion, Lu Sisi clenched his teeth and said,

"It's not appropriate for you to hear what comes next, wait for me on the road."

Lu Yuanlu's eyes widened, his lips buzzed twice, but he refrained from speaking out in front of strangers and, without a word of farewell, walked away indignantly.

"Hehe."

Li Tongya laughed enigmatically, while Lu Sisi let out a long sigh, and spoke softly:

"I ask the young friend for forgiveness, for my disciple has grown accustomed to being overbearing at home."

A well-intended show of force had turned into an embarrassment, adding to Lu Sisi's discomfort. He turned to Li Xuanling sitting below him and lamented,

"It seems that noble clans are quite strict in managing their households, a lesson we should learn."

"What brings you here this time?"

Li Tongya didn't want to waste time in idle chatter and got straight to the point.

Lu Sisi then came back to his senses, his white beard fluttering as he said in a grave voice,

"A few years ago, Zifu Monks attacked Green Pond Mountain with a massive force, it's said even the Heavenly Primordial Dao Spiritual Formation was activated."

Li Tongya was taken aback and incredulously asked,

"Green Pond Mountain? Attacked Green Pond Sect? Have they gone mad?! Which power dares to be so brazen?"

"Who knows?"

Seeing Li Tongya's reaction, Lu Sisi couldn't hide his smugness, feeling a bit of face restored as he chuckled and said,

"It was a major battle, Green Pond Sect lost face for the first time in over a hundred years. Do you know how the Immortal Sect handled it?"

"How did they handle it?"

Li Tongya asked, somewhat curious.

"They made excuses and let it go!"

"The grand Green Pond Immortal Sect, just letting it go quietly! Do you know why?"

Li Tongya had his suspicions but appeared utterly incredulous as he pressed,

"Why?"

"I heard... a high-ranking Zifu in Green Pond Sect ascended!"

Lu Sisi spoke softly, his face flushed with excitement, clenching the Jade Ruyi tightly, and said in a deep voice,

"It's said that the next few years will bring changes! We must be prepared."

Li Tongya nodded repeatedly, seeing that the old man of the Lu Family was trying to do him a favor, and said earnestly,

"Thank you for the information, senior!"

Lu Sisi nodded in satisfaction and waved his hand, saying,

"There's another important matter on this visit, concerning your Li Family, my Lu Family, and the An Family."

"The An Family has a Vein Searching Technique, and they've been prospecting in our territory. They claim to have discovered a Green Crow vein at the border between our two families."

At this revelation, a look of joy appeared on Li Tongya's face, as he eagerly asked,

"What's the yield? Which direction does the vein run?"

Green Crow ore was a common material used by Fetal Breathing Qi Cultivators to forge magic artifacts. If mined correctly, an additional income of dozens of Spirit Stones a year was not an issue, which naturally delighted Li Tongya.

Lu Sisi pursed his lips with a twinge of regret and said,

"It's a micro vein, running from east to west for several miles. If it weren't for its narrow and winding nature, penetrating deep into your territory, we'd have encircled it and mined it ourselves optimally."

Li Tongya immediately laughed and said,

"This matter is of great importance; I must see it for myself. Perhaps Senior Lu could lead me there."

Lu Sisi nodded and replied,

"Of course, I will first take you to investigate, and later we'll need to discuss the matters of mining and profit-sharing."