Chapter 98: Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment

“By the way, Seventeen, there’s something I want to ask you,” Li Guanxuan called out to his elder brother.

Li Guanyuan glanced back at him with a cold gaze, instinctively wanting to refuse and sneer, but instead he said, “What is it?”

“Do you have any news about Guanding, Guanwu, Guanping, and Jianlin?” Li Guanxuan asked.

Li Guanyuan clearly saw the smile on his younger brother’s face fade, the gentle look in his eyes turning sharp. He said lightly, “You’re starting to show some of the sword cultivator’s temperament.”

“Do you have any news of them?” Li Guanxuan pressed again.

These were the brothers who had ventured into the Immortal Ruins together with him back then. Full of youthful ambition, he had once boasted that he would lead them all to build a superpower in the Immortal Ruins and prove the shortsighted Li family wrong.

But in the end, he was brutally beaten, and the brothers scattered.

“They’re all useless. Why bother asking…” Li Guanyuan said disdainfully. Yet, seeing his brother’s piercing gaze fixed on him, he thought for a moment and said, “No, I have no news. Besides finding you, I came with two other clan brothers—Li Jiankong and Li Juesheng. Both have reached Foundation Establishment stage in the northern Immortal Ruins.”

Li Guanxuan nodded slightly, understanding that without reaching Foundation Establishment, Li Guanyuan couldn’t have any news of those brothers. The names Li Jiankong and Li Juesheng were the little information his elder brother had revealed. If things got difficult, he could seek them out.

“How’s Mother? Is she doing well?” Li Guanxuan asked.

Li Guanyuan replied indifferently, “In about ten years, I’ll reach the Golden Core stage. Mother has me to care for her. You needn’t worry too much; you should focus on yourself.”

“All right,” Li Guanxuan smiled faintly. Although his childhood was rough and the elders barely regarded his poor talents, only his birth mother occasionally showed him care. Knowing she was being taken care of eased his heart.

“Anything else you want to say?” Li Guanyuan asked flatly.

Li Guanxuan looked out the window to the bustling streets and elegant pavilions veiled in mist, resembling a fairyland. He smiled and recited softly, “Once young, our lofty ambitions vowed to be the best in the world. Who knew time would slip away, leaving us with neither fame nor fortune.”

“Is that self-mockery?” Li Guanyuan sneered. “A sword cultivator who’s not first-rate will never rise. You’re too cowardly, too timid. Not competing or fighting—better to break your sword and return to the mortal realm as a worthless marquis.”

“True, I once thought of returning to the mortal world. But there’s a spirit inside me pushing me to achieve Foundation Establishment,” Li Guanxuan smiled, gazing at his brother and softly saying, “Seventeen, I advise you not to cherish your golden robes but to cherish your youth. When flowers bloom, one must pluck them before the branches are bare. Though sword cultivators ‘prefer to take the straight path, not the crooked one,’ in life one must be more tactful. A straight sword with double edges and a sharp tip represents strength but is brittle. I know this won’t change you, but I just want you to look back at our youthful days… and not waste good times.”

“Do you need me to give you lessons?” Li Guanyuan glared and then swept away his sleeve, leaving.

Li Guanxuan chuckled, lifting his wine cup leisurely for a sip.

…

As Li Guanyuan left Drunken Immortal Pavilion, he couldn’t help but glance back at a certain window.

Fifty years had passed since their separation…

He had thought his only younger brother had perished in the Immortal Ruins, but unexpectedly, he had succeeded in reaching Foundation Establishment.

That was good—at least he could live another two hundred years or so.

Thinking of the family’s bloodline cultivation method, the Azure Profound Technique, which had longevity effects, Li Guanyuan felt somewhat reassured.

Two hundred years was enough time for his brother, no matter how poor his talent, to produce a false core and reach Golden Core stage.

Li Guanyuan sighed inwardly. This was all he could do; the rest of the path must be walked by his foolish brother himself.

“Though I don’t know what you’ve been through all these years, making you so timid and fearful can’t be a good thing…”

“But no matter what, succeeding in Foundation Establishment is a good thing.”

“Silver Maple City is nice; there’s no need to return to the family… at least it’s peaceful.”

…

Li Guanyuan’s mind was full of thoughts as he recalled his timid brother’s words: “Do not cherish your golden robes…”

On Li Guanyuan’s usually expressionless face, a rare smile flickered, hard as stone but warm within.

It seemed foolish brother had been reading a lot these years.

…

When Li Guanxuan returned home, Wen Rongxin could already read some information from his face.

Her husband was in a good mood, so the Li family envoy must not have troubled him. Wen Rongxin’s gentle and lovely face broke into a smile as she stepped forward and whispered, “Sister Ji Yue has news—the sect leader of Falling Moon Valley is severely injured and dying, with only a few years left…”

Li Guanxuan’s eyes showed surprise. Did this mean there was a chance to bring Song Zhiqiao there?

“Be careful of the Joyful Mountain sect leader… well, let’s handle this carefully so as not to reveal our hand.”

Li Guanxuan wrapped his arm around Wen Rongxin’s supple, elastic waist as they walked toward the hall.

Wen Rongxin felt his hand slowly sliding downward, her cheeks flushed with shyness but she said nothing.

After all these years as a married couple, habits remain, but shyness lingers.

For Wen Rongxin, Qin Jiyue and Song Zhiqiao both had backgrounds; she was just a farmer girl from a mortal family, and that ingrained inferiority was hard to erase.

“Brother, who is the Li family envoy? Did he trouble you? If you’re not feeling well, the three of us sisters can go out shopping with you. Now that the Merchant Valley lord has fallen, we’re no longer threatened.”

Song Zhiqiao clung to Li Guanxuan’s arm, her voice delicate and sweet, acting coquettish to win her brother’s favor.

…

Li Guanxuan pinched her hand lightly, both hands moving in unison, smiling brightly.

“The Li family envoy is my elder brother, Li Guanyuan, a peak Foundation Establishment master. I’ve already obtained the Li family’s Foundation Establishment heart method and expect to reach mid Foundation Establishment within a year.”

“That’s great,” Qin Jiyue finally relaxed.

She had wanted to accompany Li Guanxuan earlier, worried the envoy would trouble him.

Hearing that the envoy was his elder brother and that the heart method was obtained smoothly, her view of the Li family softened.

“Keep an eye on the You family patriarch. Once I emerge from seclusion, I’ll settle that score,” Li Guanxuan said to Qin Jiyue.

“All right, husband~” Qin Jiyue blinked coquettishly. “I work so hard for you, is there any reward?”

“Summer’s coming. How about I reward you with a popsicle that never melts?” Li Guanxuan smiled.

“That’s not enough. I want to take you to explore the dark and damp Foundation Establishment cave…”

Qin Jiyue didn’t care that her sisters were nearby; she sat on Li Guanxuan’s lap, eager to take wing together.

“What are you two talking about? Sister Rongxin and I don’t understand at all,” Song Zhiqiao said, her face becoming more enchanting, her eyes shimmering like autumn waters. She whispered in Li Guanxuan’s ear, her pale hand slipping inside his robe, expertly picking at his buttons.

Li Guanxuan gasped, surprised: “Little sister, you’ve really learned a lot from Jiyue.”

“I just want to reach Foundation Establishment quickly, so naturally I learn from sister Jiyue…”

“All right, I’ll give you a chance today to reach Foundation Establishment sooner.”

“Thank you, brother. But… really here?”

Before Song Zhiqiao finished, the ever-alluring Jiyue bent down, mouth on the eternal popsicle.

She had clearly claimed the popsicle first.

Wen Rongxin sensed the atmosphere was off; these educated cultivators' conversations were beyond her understanding.

Seeing Jiyue act so boldly, Wen Rongxin’s face turned pale, her eyes flustered as she stammered, “I-I’ll go check if the food in the kitchen is ready, you all…”

Before she finished, Li Guanxuan pulled her back and kissed her deeply.

“Mmm, mm…”

Wen Rongxin’s watery eyes widened, her body gradually relaxing, blushing as she allowed the sword cultivator to guide her practice.

Soon, the white-haired enchantress was the first to be pierced by the sword cultivator, her screams continuous, making the body cultivator blush and shyly stand by.

Li Guanxuan gave the little green tea girl a look, signaling her to pull the body cultivator sister over to prevent her from escaping with a teleportation technique.

The little green tea girl, protective of her brother, immediately embraced the remarkably flexible body cultivator, pressing down with both hands, pouting: “Sister Rongxin may not be as good as sister Jiyue, but she’s enough… unlike me, sigh!”

“Alright, alright… petite has its advantages, and husband has favored you plenty… ah!” The white-haired enchantress shouted fiercely while battling Li Guanxuan.

The little green tea girl giggled, gently massaging and whispering: “Sister Rongxin, do you really want to leave? Brother will be sad if you go. Can you bear to see him sad?”

The body cultivator was already ashamed beyond words.

She had never experienced such training; usually, only the sword cultivator guided her alone. Suddenly practicing together without preparation was hard to adapt to.

“I…I can’t bear to…”

The body cultivator lowered her head, wanting to comply but unable to adjust.

“Then fine, I’ll go out with sister Rongxin and let sister Jiyue and husband practice their immortality-seeking here.”

The little green tea girl cared deeply for her sister; even if she didn’t listen to husband, she would listen to her.

“No, no…”

The body cultivator gritted her silver teeth and bravely said, “Sooner or later, I have to face it… better now than later…”

Hearing this, the white-haired enchantress brightened, quickly withdrawing with a smile: “Then sister will go first.”

“Ah?”

The body cultivator was stunned. She only said that casually.

“Come on, sister~” The white-haired enchantress urged, “There are two more sisters wanting to question sword husband~”

Before the body cultivator could respond, with her shocked and embarrassed eyes, Li Guanxuan drew his sword first, and the sword shot out like a dragon, precisely striking a weak point.

The body cultivator grunted softly.

As insights into the Dao gradually came, she slowly adapted, finally letting out a low, miserable scream.

The white-haired enchantress and little green tea exchanged a glance, satisfied.

Having taken this step, their future would be less miserable.

…

Tonight’s meal was delayed by over two hours.

In the end, Li Guanxuan personally reheated and served the dishes.

But he had just glanced at the dark space; the light there was indescribably wonderful.

“Come, come, eat, eat. Wife, eat more. As a body cultivator, you can’t be worse than sister. Eat more meat to restore strength—later we continue.”

Li Guanxuan was full of enthusiasm, serving dishes and meat to his wives, attentive and caring.

Wen Rongxin still blushed, but her shyness was less than before; she buried her head in her food, silent.

“I—I can’t take it anymore. Two sisters, please discipline this shameless bad guy…” Song Zhiqiao pleaded.

…

“Don’t worry, watch how sister and I deal with him tonight,” Qin Jiyue said arrogantly.

She was the type who lost repeatedly but never gave up, occasionally begging for mercy.

“Jiyue’s sharp tongue is impressive—I can attest to that,” Li Guanxuan chuckled.

“Am I not good at horsemanship?” Qin Jiyue shot him a sideways glance.

“You’re impressive, truly impressive…”

After dinner, Song Zhiqiao went to rest.

The intense continuous training was too much for her Qi Refining stage six cultivation; she simply couldn’t keep up and left the two sisters to carry on.

As for washing the dishes, she cast a water spell and finished quickly before returning to her room.

In the main room, another round of blade and sword clashing began.

Two hours later.

Li Guanxuan emerged refreshed, heading toward the cultivation chamber.

“Rongxin’s five-element pseudo-spiritual roots have reached mid-grade. With the Bone Tempering Pill, breaking through won’t be an issue. However, when she reaches mid Bone Tempering stage, I need to refine an exquisite Antidote Spirit Pill for her. That will accelerate her aptitude improvement.”

Li Guanxuan sat cross-legged, contemplating future plans.

As his wives’ cultivation improved, his own speed would increase.

Therefore, helping them advance was necessary.

“Zhiqiao’s little fluff… once I gain the power to instantly kill the Joyful Mountain sect leader, I’ll take her to Qing’an City. Otherwise, if this matter leaks, we’ll all suffer.”

Li Guanxuan exhaled a breath of stale air.

He couldn’t rush arranging the fluff for the little green tea.

After all, Qin Jiyue was no longer a disciple of Falling Moon Valley… Wait!

Li Guanxuan narrowed his eyes. If Qin Jiyue revisited her old place under the guise of visiting a former teacher, that seemed reasonable.

The sect leader of Falling Moon Valley wouldn’t refuse, especially since Qin Jiyue was now mid Foundation Establishment, her combat strength comparable to late Foundation Establishment.

With her help, taking Song Zhiqiao into Joyful Mountain wouldn’t be difficult.

The only challenge was that the excuse had to be plausible, without raising suspicion.

After some thought, Li Guanxuan recorded his plans into a communication talisman for Qin Jiyue to consider once she awoke.

For now, he would cultivate the Li family’s bloodline heart method to reach mid Foundation Establishment.

“Azure Profound Sword Technique…”

Li Guanxuan took out the Foundation Establishment heart method. The four azure characters seemed infused with an ultimate murderous sword intent, sweeping through the Eight Desolations and Six Realms, inspiring awe and fear.

These characters must have been written by a Nascent Soul True Lord of the clan.

Otherwise, it would not contain such pure and terrifying sword intent.

Li Guanxuan calmed his mind and began cultivating the Azure Profound Sword Technique.

This method contained the Flying Sword Technique and the Ten Thousand Sword Technique, enhancing and multiplying the sword intent of Li family sword cultivators, increasing lethality.

…

One year later.

The cultivation chamber was covered with sword marks—shocking to behold.

During this period, even Wen Rongxin and the other two women felt their scalps tingle from the sword intent occasionally leaking from Li Guanxuan’s cultivation.

Liu Xiaoxian had visited once, nearly mistaking an intruder at Peaceful Courtyard and prepared to strike to protect her precious disciple.

But upon learning it was the Li family’s Foundation Establishment heart method, Liu Xiaoxian was relieved.

As the energy of mid Foundation Establishment slowly spread, Wen Rongxin and Song Zhiqiao at home beamed with joy.

“Husband has broken through!”

Li Guanxuan opened his eyes; the stale breath he exhaled was filled with sword intent, sharp and piercing.

“Thirteen layers of sword intent, each capable of wielding a flying sword. Killing a Foundation Establishment stage seven opponent is effortless…”

He was deeply shaken inside.

The Li family truly was a Divine Transformation lineage. Combining the heart method with his bloodline power had maximized his killing potential.

Now, even if he couldn’t defeat a peak Foundation Establishment opponent, he could escape at will.

Of course, if it were Li Guanyuan at mid Foundation Establishment facing a peak Foundation Establishment, he would fight to the death without retreat.

In a sword cultivator’s heart, victory means survival; defeat means death. There is no concept of retreat.

But as a Longevity Sword Cultivator, Li Guanxuan only wanted to live well and wouldn’t rashly offend a peak Foundation Establishment.

“There are twenty drops of liquid mana condensed in the dantian aura sea—signifying mid Foundation Establishment. To reach Foundation Establishment stage five, I need to connect the Jiaji acupoint and condense thirty drops.”

Li Guanxuan examined his body, smiling.

The upper, middle, and lower dantians, along with the Dan Palace in the chest and abdomen, were all connected, allowing easy connection to the tailbone acupoint to reach mid Foundation Establishment.

Next, he only needed to connect the Jiaji acupoint to condense thirty drops of liquid mana.

After Jiaji, connecting the Jade Pillow acupoint was not too difficult; the most challenging was connecting the Life Gate acupoint at the lower back.

This acupoint symbolized the connection between the Middle and Lower Yellow Courts. Only by connecting it could he continue condensing liquid mana and truly enter late Foundation Establishment.

“It’s time to emerge from seclusion and assess the situation, then settle the accounts…”

A sharp gleam flashed in Li Guanxuan’s eyes as he gathered all his energy inward, his aura shifting subtly.

(End of chapter)