Family Cultivation: I Become a Mirror-Chapter 190 - 176 Shamo Li’s Concerns

Li Yuanxiu wiped his hands, covered with the blood of demonic beasts, and slowly descended from the altar. Once he had confirmed with his uncle Li Xuanfeng that Li Yuanjiao had departed on the wind without giving anyone the Talisman Pills and had already left, he left a few of the younger generation to handle the aftermath.

Li Xuanling had completed the sacrifices and had taken the Talisman Pill, and went to the mountains to enter seclusion. He had been at the Fetal Breathing Fifth Layer for a few years, and since a Talisman Pill could only be consumed once per major realm, he planned to use its power to attempt a breakthrough to the Fetal Breathing Sixth Layer.

Touching the Jade Bottle in his embrace, Li Yuanxiu knew it contained a stream of mixed qi. Chen Donghe had been collecting it for two years, and after Li Xuanfeng emerged from seclusion, he and Chen Donghe had collected it in a frenzy during the past few months, precisely for Ganixi.

He glanced at Li Yuanjiao, who was walking with his head down, and passed the Jade Bottle to him, whispering,

"The family's mixed qi is ready. You should go to the mountain and seek the 'Purple Thunder Secret Essence Technique'. Make some modifications to the beginning and end and take it to Ganixi for Qi Cultivation."

"Okay."

Li Yuanjiao took the Jade Bottle, perhaps feeling a bit downcast for not having received the Talisman Pill. He nodded slightly, placing the bottle into his chest and said in a low voice,

"Why didn't I receive the Talisman Pill this year? In the past, I always did. Could it be that we younger generations are far inferior to our parents..."

"This..."

Li Yuanxiu listened to his words and smiled lightly, patting his head and responding,

"Don't think too much. If it doesn't work out this time, there's always next time. We're only in our teens; there's no rush. Don't you see Qinghong didn't receive the Talisman Pill either, and still she came down happy and smiling, holding her spear?"

"She's just carefree!"

Li Yuanjiao remembered Li Qinghong's happy-go-lucky demeanor and couldn't help but burst into laughter, which instantly lifted his spirits. Without realizing it, he felt a thwack on his rear, causing him to stumble. Annoyed, he swung around only to see Li Qinghong with a sneer, holding a Wooden Spear. The corners of her pretty mouth curled up into a teasing smile as she crisply said,

"I heard from afar that Jiao brother was talking behind my back!"

"Hmph."

Li Qinghong was much beloved by the family elders. Li Yuanjiao was afraid she'd complain, so he didn't argue with her, turning around muttering to himself, only to see Li Yuanyun trying to suppress his laughter while looking at him with mirth.

"Yuanyun! What's so funny about this!"

Li Yuanxiu, unable to withhold his laughter at the sound of that resentful utterance, bent down and gathered Li Yuanyun and Li Qinghong into his arms, one in each hand, and said warmly,

"I find it funny too."

"Brother!"

Li Yuanjiao himself was tickled and bent over laughing. Then he suddenly straightened up, putting aside his childlike demeanor, and said seriously,

"I heard that swallowing mixed qi is much easier than the pure spiritual energy of nature. It probably won't take much time before you will have to marshal the troops and make preparations."

"That's natural."

Li Yuanxiu nodded and replied with a smile,

"Now we have more than five thousand standing troops. With just one command from us, we can muster over ten thousand soldiers. If uncle deals with Shanyue's qi cultivation, within three days the whole Eastern Shanyue will be under our control."

Having studied for a few years, Li Yuanyun couldn't contain his excitement on hearing this, feeling the thrill of witnessing history. Li Yuanjiao nodded and walked with Li Yuanxiu on the street, watching the clan soldiers on both sides make way, his lips curling into a faint smile.

————

"Shamo Li, brother, I've obtained what you asked for."

Li Yuanjiao held the Jade Slip in his hand, knocked on the stone door, and after a moment, the door thunderously slid open. Shamo Li, with his untidy beard, stepped out. Seeing Li Yuanjiao, his expression was full of anticipation as he stutteringly said:

"Brother, have you... have you brought the cultivation technique and nature's spiritual energy?"

"Indeed."

Seeing that his cultivation level had progressed, Li Yuanjiao knew Shamo Li had not wasted these days and nodded in confirmation. Shamo Li, overwhelmed with joy, took the Jade Slip and the Jade Bottle from Li Yuanjiao's hands, endlessly thanking him.

Patting Shamo Li on the shoulder, Li Yuanjiao took out two more Jade Bottles from his bosom and softly explained:

"I've also secured two elixirs for you, one called the Serpent Origin Pill, to break through in Qi cultivation."

Shamo Li took the Jade Bottle handed to him by Li Yuanxiu, his Spiritual Sense probed inside, and indeed, he found a pale, round elixir. Li Yuanjiao continued:

"The second is a unique elixir of my eastern people, called the Moonlight Pill. Consume it immediately, and you will break through to the Fetal Breathing Sixth Layer."

What Li Yuanjiao brought was naturally a Talisman Pill; just that he feared Shamo Li might cause trouble if the true name spread, so he didn't inform him of the real name and made up one to pass to him. Shamo Li, upon receiving it, saw an elixir that gleamed white and was full of patterns, seemingly even more precious than the Serpent Origin Pill, and promptly said in a fluster:

"This... this is too precious! How could Shamo Li accept... always troubling brother in the east and now receiving such a big favor!"

"Enough, make the most of your time!"

Li Yuanjiao didn't bother with idle talk and reminded him before instructing Shamo Li to take the Xuanjing Spirit Oath, forbidding the revelation of anything related to the elixirs and cultivation technique. Then, with a cupped-hand salute, he turned and left the courtyard.

Shamo Li courteously saw him off, his heart surging as he turned back, cheerfully entered the secret room, sprawled on the ground, and carefully placed the Jade Slip on his left-hand side and the Jade Bottles on his right, before turning over to look dazedly at the items on the ground.

Shamo Li paused, the joyful turbulence in his heart suddenly vanished, transforming into a mix of both guilt and terrified astonishment. Such a swift change made his head swirl and his vision blur.

He was very aware that upon opening the coveted Jade Slip before him and consuming the elixir full of nature's spiritual energy, he could not only achieve a life-span of two hundred years from Qi cultivation, but also the throne he had yearned for over twenty years would be within easy reach.

But Shamo Li also understood that he would lead the cavalry of foreign tribes onto the soil of his homeland, hundreds of thousands of his people would be enslaved in body and soul, Eastern Shanyue would be but a name, and the entire nation, from the court to the common people, would depend on the whim of the easterners. His elder brother, who had always been superior in every aspect since childhood, would be put to death to let him—a person of mediocre ability—rule Eastern Shanyue.

"Is it worth it... That's my father's lifelong endeavor..."

Shamo Li seemed to see his stern father standing coldly before him. Suddenly, the kingship and cultivation level within easy reach lost all their allure. Shamo Li wavered for a moment, then, frightened by his own indecision, started shaking uncontrollably. Shamo Li didn't dare think how the Li Family would deal with him; the Li Family had cultivators in the Qi Cultivating Late Stage, who were probably watching him from the sky at that moment. Even if he achieved Qi cultivation and fled, he couldn't escape far...

"Father, I'm afraid of death... Who isn't afraid of death? In this lifetime, my gravest fear has been death; otherwise, I'd have let myself be executed in the palace long ago, not fled here to the easterners... I really, really don't want to die!"

Shamo Li slowly closed his eyes, recalling how his father, Mu Jiaoman, consolidated his territory in the months following Ganixi's death, using countless despicable means, killing many of his own people, and how weakly he bowed his head to the easterners, acknowledging fealty. With a tearful sneer, as if to embolden himself, he opened his eyes wide, gritted his teeth, and said:

"How could it be otherwise, that's all you taught me, Father..."

Picking up the Jade Slip from the ground, Shamo Li sat up and began reading intently, saying coldly and guiltily:

"Qi Mu does not see the enormity of the easterners' ambition. Ultimately, he will lead Eastern Shanyue into ruin at their hands. Only I can, only I! Father, only I can preserve Eastern Shanyue..."

His gaze became firmer as he found justification for himself; all burdens and guilt were cast aside. Shamo Li bowed his head, biting his lip and wiping away tears as he read the Jade Slip in his hands, gradually immersing himself, stabilizing his emotions.