5: Chapter 5 Hundred Arts of Cultivation

After Li Wencheng finished the introduction, Clan Leader Li Huaming waved his sleeves and dismissed the two. They continued to eat Spirit Rice and drink Spirit Wine. After several more cups, Clan Leader Li Huaming stood up to bid Li Changqing farewell, preparing to return to the Li Family.

"Eighth Uncle, why not stay one more night and leave tomorrow?"

Li Changqing asked after finishing the wine in his cup for Clan Leader Li Huaming.

"Haha, Changqing, you don't know this, but I recently had a stroke of Luck in my Cultivation. My Realm is about to reach the tenth level of the Qi Refinement Stage, so I should return to the Family early to make more preparations."

"I see. Congratulations, Eighth Uncle. I wish you a smooth Breakthrough and an early ascent to the path of Foundation Establishment."

"Foundation Establishment is not easy. I only have a thirty percent chance of becoming a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. You, however, are still so young, Changqing; your chances are much greater than mine." Clan Leader Li Huaming looked at Li Changqing and sighed, his gaze filled with both longing for the Foundation Establishment Stage and trepidation about breaking through such a major Realm.

Breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage is a crucial step in a Cultivator's path, marking the true entry into the threshold of cultivation. This process usually involves multiple trials, with the core goal of compressing and solidifying the Spiritual Qi accumulated during the Qi Refinement Stage to form a stable Dao foundation, achieving longevity, a transformation of Physique, and a qualitative change in mana.

First, one's Realm must reach the tenth level of the Qi Refinement Stage, filling the Spiritual Qi within the body to the Bottleneck, ensuring the circulation is smooth and unobstructed, yet unable to absorb any more.

Afterward, there are mainly the following methods for Breakthrough:

The first is to take a Medicinal Pill, using the medicinal power to break through the Bottleneck. A common Medicinal Pill is the foundation establishment pill. This process not only shortens the time for the Breakthrough but also reduces the side effects of a failed attempt.

The second is to be located at the eye of a Spiritual Vein or a place with abundant Spiritual Qi, using the massive amount of Spiritual Qi to force a Breakthrough. The disadvantage of this method is that if the Breakthrough fails, it will cause damage to the body, and in severe cases, even cost one's life.

The third is not to rely on any external objects, but to rely entirely on one's own Cultivation and perseverance to break through. This method is generally suitable for a Genius Cultivator or someone with great Luck.

Once a Qi Refinement Stage Cultivator breaks through to the Foundation Establishment Stage, it is not just an increase in status, but more importantly, an increase in lifespan. Foundation Establishment grants a lifespan of three hundred years. For most Qi Refinement Stage Cultivators, the Foundation Establishment Stage is the goal they pursue for their entire lives.

The two chatted for a few more moments before concluding. Li Changqing escorted Clan Leader Li Huaming to the edge of Xuanling Lake, then patrolled around Xuanling Lake himself. After confirming it was safe, he returned to his own pavilion on Xuanling Island.

After returning to the pavilion, Li Changqing first inspected the island-protecting Formation of Xuanling Island.

This Formation is called the Five Elements Lost Track Formation, and the eye of the Formation is the intersection of two Spiritual Veins at the bottom of the island.

This Formation utilizes the Spiritual Veins and the Formation-laying instruments, arranged according to the Five Elements (Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth), and can evolve into various variants. For example, the Metal-attribute Formation can strengthen physical defense, while the Wood-attribute focuses on binding and buffering. Its mechanism lies in the cycle of the Five Elements' mutual restriction, which can automatically adapt to different attack attributes to form a dynamic protective layer.

This Formation can also confuse intruders by creating illusions of the surrounding scenery, causing them to fall into visual and sensory confusion. Once an enemy is trapped, the Cultivator guarding the Formation can use the Formation to launch coordinated attacks. If three or five ordinary Qi Refinement Stage Cultivators try to break in, it is usually just seeking their own death.

The Five Elements Lost Track Formation is a High Grade First-Tier Formation, covering most of Xuanling Island, which is a decision made by the Family after multiple considerations.

If one wanted to set up a Formation that covers the entire Xuanling Lake, even a Second-Tier Formation could not cover such a large area, and the Li Family could not invest too much here.

The First-Tier fish fry introduced by the Family into Xuanling Lake are Purple Spirit Fish. The Purple Spirit Fish have extremely high intelligence, reach adulthood in two to three years, are not easily caught, and can freely traverse the water surface. When swimming, their bodies briefly become semi-transparent, as if merging into the air.

Unless a Qi Refinement Stage Cultivator uses a fishing net to catch them blatantly, it is difficult to succeed. Moreover, Xuanling Lake is patrolled by Martial Artists day and night, so ordinary low-level Cultivators will not risk offending the Li Family for such a small amount of resources.

After thoroughly studying the functions of the Formation, it was already evening.

The setting sun melted like gold, the evening clouds merged, and the sunset and afterglow reflected on the surface of Xuanling Lake, sparkling as if countless crushed diamonds were jumping on the crests of the waves, swaying gently with the ripples.

The sparse reeds on the shore were draped in gold edges, and a few willow trees swayed in the wind. Where the wind passed, fine dust like stardust rose, and birds crossed the sky, leaving silhouettes that quietly merged with the deepening twilight.

At this moment, the water and sky merged, making it hard to distinguish reality from illusion. Li Changqing looked up, and for the next few years, this place would be his stage.

The next morning, the lake surface spread out like a mirror. A breeze swept by, causing shimmering silver ripples, and Li Changqing officially began his path of cultivation at Xuanling Lake.

Walking out of the pavilion, Li Fanchen was already waiting at the door.

Waving his hand to signal him to follow behind, Li Changqing began to walk towards the location of the Spirit Fields. The Family had already cleared and cultivated five acres of Medium Grade First-Tier Spirit Fields here. It was currently the beginning of spring, and all work was ready, just waiting for him to plant the Spirit Rice.

Spirit Fields cannot be cleared just anywhere. First, the location of the Spirit Fields requires a Spiritual Vein, and second, the spirit soil also needs to be cultivated.

Li Changqing led several Martial Artists and spent three days planting all the previously cultivated Spirit Rice seedlings onto the five acres of Spirit Fields.

The Spirit Rice planted on Xuanling Island is called Xuanyang Rice, which is also one of the only two types of Spirit Rice suitable for Qi Refinement Stage Cultivators to consume in the Li Family.

Xuanyang Rice is suitable for Qi Refinement Stage Cultivators. Consuming it not only satisfies hunger but also has the effect of exercising the Physique and strengthening the Meridians.

Typically, one acre of Medium Grade Spirit Fields can harvest about two hundred catties of Xuanyang Rice. Xuanyang Rice matures once a year, and every five catties or so can be sold for one Low-Grade Spirit Stone.

After the Spirit Rice was planted, for the next steps, he only needed to cast several low-level Spells such as Spirit Rain Spell, Pest Removal Spell, and Spirit Gathering Spell on the Spirit Rice at the prescribed times depending on the situation.

Time passed quietly in the day-to-day cultivation, and in the blink of an eye, a month had passed.

At this time, in a secret room inside the pavilion on Xuanling Island, Li Changqing stood quietly in front of a long table. He opened a wooden box he had prepared long ago, took out a piece of Talisman paper, spread it out on the table, and then took out the Spirit Ink made from special Materials, as well as other Talisman Making Materials, and began to prepare for Talisman Making.

As an outstanding member of the Li Family's "Chang" generation, besides his fast Cultivation speed among his peers, Li Changqing also had considerable talent in the Family's secondary profession of Talisman Making. When he was at the sixth level of the Qi Refinement Stage, he had already produced High Grade First-Tier Talismans.

This was also one of the reasons why Li Changqing was exceptionally happy after devouring the Divine Soul of a person from another world and discovering that his Divine Sense was stronger than that of Cultivators of the same level.

For most Cultivators, Talismans are difficult to make. Many people do not have the talent for Talisman Making. Even though the Li Family is known as a Talisman Making Family, the proportion of Talisman Makers among the total number of Cultivators in the Family is only about thirty percent, and most of them are still Medium Grade or Low Grade First-Tier Talisman Makers.

The stronger a Cultivator's Divine Sense, the greater the help it is for Talisman Making.

Talisman Makers also have a very high status in the world of cultivation. Among the Hundred Arts of Cultivation, Alchemists, Artifact Refiners, Talisman Makers, and Formation Masters are recognized by Cultivators as the four most popular secondary professions. High-level Talisman Makers are often guests of honor for various major forces.

Li Changqing picked up the Talisman Brush used for Talisman Making. It was made from the fur, tendons, and bones of a Late Stage First-Tier Yao Beast, the Red-Haired Wolf, and was named the Wolf Howl Brush.