"There isn’t even a Great Formation on Wutu Mountain, it’s truly disgraceful... Continuing to operate at a loss year after year is not the way."

Li Xihong stood respectfully in front of him. Seeing that his words had been fluent and not at all dull, Li Yuanping couldn’t help but ask:

"What’s the situation in Linghai County?"

Li Xihong was obviously unprepared, slightly startled; he pondered for a few moments, seeming somewhat uneasy as he said:

"The Tian Clan is supporting the government... Prince Li Jiman has courage and strength..."

"Enough."

Li Yuanping, upon hearing Li Xihong’s words which were neither "The Tian Clan is in power" nor "The Tian Clan controls the government," lost interest in listening further and gently said:

"Go and practice your cultivation."

"Yes!"

Li Xihong bowed and left. Li Yuanping sighed, turned his head, looking at Li Ximing who was reading diligently aside, and said in a low voice:

"Xihong is honest and dull, kind and generous. If you manage the household in the future, your brother Xihong can be of use, but you cannot let him take charge alone."

Li Ximing was actually quite fond of his elder brother, Li Xihong, and was at a loss whether to nod or shake his head. He silently buried his head in the book. Fortunately, someone approached and reported:

"Family Head, there is news from the Yuan Family."

"Oh?"

Li Yuanping quickly looked up and saw the person answer:

"Immortal Master Yuan Tuan has reached Mushroom Forest Plain and will arrive at Wangyue Lake on the day of the winter full moon."

"Good!"

Li Yuanping was immediately delighted. Now it was the third day of the eleventh month, which meant that Yuan Tuan would arrive in twelve days. He smiled and said:

"Send someone to reply and say that our family awaits the noble Immortal Master’s arrival."

————

The rain in Linghai County was relentless. This place belonged to the south of Yue Country, surrounded by mountains, gloomy and humid, where rainwater gathered between the valleys, often flooding the low-lying areas.

A young man trudged through the water in the dense rainforest, with incessant frogs croaking around him. He frowned and muttered:

"Master, why do we have to detour and come back to this damned place?"

"Who knows what madness the Green Pond Sect is up to."

The man behind him, with wild hair and a rugged and fierce appearance, moved through a black fog, his voice raspy as he said:

"And they didn’t even send a single person related to the Foundation Establishment out, we can only cross Linghai County first and then go to Yi Shan City on the border of the Southern Border to see!"

"This body is already nearly spent, if I hadn’t previously practiced ’Drinking Human Blood’ to suppress this body, this flesh would have long ago been worn down to pus and blood by the Metal Nature..."

The youth narrowed his eyes, hinting at something as he said: 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

"But Master, aren’t you seeking several special Taoist Foundations? If we barge into Yi Shan City like this, I’m afraid there will be no turning back, and we can only head further into the Southern Border."

"Once we reach deep into the Southern Border, where will we find another body for you to take possession of?"

The young man was none other than Jiang Yan, who had been missing for many years. Countless cultivators were causing chaos under his name all around Yue Country, yet he had returned to Linghai County without anyone being the wiser.

A slight suspicion flickered across Jiang Yan’s eyes. He tentatively asked a question, only to see Jiang Boqing casually wave his hand and answer:

"Your master built the Foundation at thirty and reached Zifu at sixty, a talent like no other. When the time comes, I’ll think of some other solution!"

Jiang Yan shook his head and laughed heartily, replying:

"Since Master claims to be a genius who built the Foundation at thirty and reached Zifu at sixty, why did you abandon the Zifu Golden Core Path and instead practice the Sorcery and Strange Scripture?"

"Damn it."

The rugged man cursed under his breath, his face contorting with the emotion, as he said irritably:

"Back then, I was a genius; how could I understand the thorniness between the Zifu and Golden Core? I only knew that I had never seen anyone with the same Immortal Foundation as mine, and I spent all my time in arduous cultivation. After achieving Zifu—"

"That’s when I learned, damn it, the master of Witch Mountain, Duanmu Kui, practiced this Path!"

The body he controlled was on the verge of collapse, his expression twisted and hideous, barely recognizable as a smile as he continued:

"Duanmu Kui was a figure who dominated an era. How could I wait for him to act? Scared witless, I immediately reduced my Divine Skills and cut back on my Taoist Foundation, seeking to create Talismans, losing most of my cultivation, and that’s how I became an Exotic Practitioner."

"Oh?"

Jiang Yan’s demeanor remained calm as he asked back:

"What do you mean by seeking to create Talismans?"

Jiang Boqing shook his head, a trace of pride on his face as he explained:

"That is a method I obtained from an Ancient Tome, which is to treat one’s Divine Skills as a Talisman to practice, turning all of one’s cultivation along with the Taoist Foundation into a single Immortal Talisman, switching from the Golden Core Path to the Witchcraft Talisman Path..."

A look of longing crossed his face as he said warmly:

"In my youth, I received the legacy of an ancestor from Moonlight Origin Mansion. This method was among them, quite difficult to master. It was only because I sought the three-nines nature of Witch Blood, which is greatly related to the Talisman Path, that I succeeded."

"To treat one’s entire cultivation as a Talisman to practice..."

Jiang Yan pondered these words. Turning back to face his master, tears glistening in his eyes, he said in a low voice:

"Master, are you now treating my entire cultivation as a Talisman to practice?"

Jiang Boqing was still prattling on. Hearing this, he suddenly paused, opening his mouth to scold:

"What nonsense are you talking about!"

But Jiang Yan became more and more sure of his conclusion; the tears slowly stopped, and he stared quietly into his master’s eyes, saying sternly:

"Although your disciple does not practice the Zifu Golden Core Path, I still understand that this path cannot be casually switched. Turning a Core into a Talisman is already the limit; seizing with Metal Nature here and there, it cannot be so arbitrary!"

His gaze shimmered, and he continued coldly:

"If your disciple’s guess is not wrong, Master’s Metal Nature has already suffered great damage. The current dissipation of the Metal Nature means there are no more chances to seize another Taoist Foundation and start anew!"

"Damn...!"

Jiang Boqing’s angry expression slowly calmed down, then turned into an expression of appreciation as he spoke softly: