41: Returning Home

Before long, Wang Family Village was beneath them.

The village was significantly larger than Black Stone Hollow, and the houses were more orderly.

The Flying Shuttle hovered about ten zhang above Wang Family Village. Li Qingfeng looked at Wang Tiezhu.

"Pillar, do you need a month?"

"No need for that much trouble!" Wang Tiezhu chuckled.

Li Qingfeng smiled understandingly and controlled the green bamboo flying shuttle to slowly descend, hovering about ten zhang directly above Wang Family Village.

The Flying Shuttle shimmered with spiritual light, and the massive Qingxuan emblem gleamed in the sunlight, instantly attracting the gaze of the entire village and causing outbursts of astonishment.

Wang Tiezhu took a deep breath, channeled his spiritual power, and his voice, resonant as a great bell, spread clearly throughout the entire settlement.

"Listen up, fellow villagers of Wang Family Village! I am Wang Tiezhu! I have returned home today by the decree of the Azure Profound Upper Sect! Everyone, gather at the village entrance immediately! I have an important announcement!"

The entire village fell silent in an instant. Everyone looked up, staring in shock at the familiar yet strange, burly figure on the Flying Shuttle.

Wang Tiezhu's parents were also in the crowd.

When she clearly saw that the decently dressed, imposing young man at the bow was her own son, Wang Tiezhu's mother trembled with excitement, and tears began to flow.

"Pillar! It's my Pillar! He... he really has become an Immortal Master!"

She pushed through the crowd recklessly, running toward the Flying Shuttle as it landed at the village entrance.

The Flying Shuttle touched down, and Li Qingfeng and Wang Tiezhu stepped out side by side.

"Mother!" Wang Tiezhu strode forward and was caught in his mother's embrace.

"Good son! My good son! You've made it! Mother knew you'd be successful!"

Mother Wang held her son, weeping uncontrollably.

Father Wang stood to the side, his dark face full of excitement and pride, rubbing his hands and grinning from ear to ear.

After comforting his mother, Wang Tiezhu turned to face the growing crowd of villagers, who watched with awe-filled eyes.

His expression turned solemn as he took out the square jade seal from his robe—the "under the governance of qingxuan" seal that symbolized authority—and held it high!

"The Heaven And Earth Spiritual Essence is reviving, and demons are rising! To protect the borders and bring peace to the people, the Azure Profound Upper Sect decrees: starting today, Li Family Village, Willow Tree Village, and Wang Family Village shall merge! We will select a spiritually rich location to jointly build a 'under the governance of qingxuan' New Town! We, the Disciples of the immortal Sect, will be stationed there to protect the region! You must prepare early; once the site is determined, relocation will begin immediately! This is the Sect's decree and must not be disobeyed! Those who violate it will be treated as showing contempt for the immortal Sect! Their entire clan shall be executed!"

These words were like a giant boulder thrown into a calm pond, stirring up a massive wave among the villagers! Immortal Sect? Building a town? Spiritual fields? Relocation?

These terms were like fairy tales to them, but looking at the jade seal in Wang Tiezhu's hand, the "Immortal Master" Aura he radiated, and the massive green Flying Shuttle, no one dared to doubt!

After finishing the announcement, Wang Tiezhu put away the jade seal, walked to his parents' side, and said in a low voice:

"Father, Mother, wait at home with peace of mind! I'm now working with my Brother Feng. Brother Feng is an inner Sect Immortal Master of the Sect! Once we've built the New Town over there and settled everything, I will personally come to fetch you two! In the future, you'll just have to enjoy a life of leisure!"

Old Man Wang and his wife looked at their extraordinary son and the Immortal Master Qingfeng beside him, whose Aura was unfathomably deep. They felt as if they were in a dream, only knowing to nod repeatedly, their faces blooming with smiles.

"Good! Good! Pillar, work hard alongside Immortal Master Qingfeng! Your father and mother will wait for you!"

After finishing his instructions, Wang Tiezhu delayed no longer and waved goodbye to his parents. Li Qingfeng nodded slightly to Father and Mother Wang, and then he and Wang Tiezhu re-boarded the Flying Shuttle.

The green bamboo flying shuttle took to the sky once more. Under the awe-filled and envious gazes of the Wang Family Village residents, it turned into a streak of emerald light and sped toward its final destination—Li Family Village.

Inside the cabin, Li Qingfeng gazed north with a calm expression. After four years away, carrying both a mission and power, he was finally going home... Time passed, and it was autumn once again.

On the back mountain of Li Family Village, a hidden cave had been carved out by Li Qinghe into a simple meditation room.

Several moon glow stones were embedded in the cave walls, emitting a soft white light that illuminated the figure sitting cross-legged in the center.

Li Qinghe sat cross-legged; the fifteen-year-old youth's figure was already as upright as a green bamboo.

His eyes were tightly shut, and the Aura around him was harmonious and flawless. Within his Dantian Qi Sea, the six pulse gates—Qiming, black bone, Wheel Spring, Azure Origin, Jade Scenery, and Initial Spirit—had long been fully connected and perfected, radiating a warm, jade-like luster.

Majestic and pure water Spiritual Qi flowed incessantly within them, having already reached the limit of the Spirit Enlightenment Realm, only waiting to draw in the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi to knock upon the gates of Qi Refining!

At the very moment the pulse gates were completely connected and the Spiritual Qi was overflowing, the dormant Moon Lake Spirit Stream Chapter in his Sea of Consciousness once again burst with brilliant light! The mist above the Spirit Enlightenment Realm was cleared away once more.

A profound method named the "Lunar Essence Qi Gathering Formula" flooded into his mind.

This technique required one to bathe in the moonlight on specific full moon nights at the third quarter of the Zi hour, perform unique hand seals, circulate a special dharma seal, and refine a specially made jade bottle (the purer the jade, the better the effect) to draw in and seal the full moon's Qi within it.

One needed to collect the Qi of exactly thirty-six full moons, corresponding to the number of the Heavenly Spirits, to finally condense a strand of the purest "Pure Qi of Lunar Essence"!

This Qi was the essence of the lunar soul, belonging to the Taiyin element, the most pure and flawless. Using this as a catalyst to Breakthrough into Qi Refining would result in a Foundation so robust and potential so profound that it was far beyond what ordinary Heaven and Earth righteous Qi could compare to!

Twelve full moons a year, thirty-six moons... that would be three full years! This was a slow, painstaking process that could not be rushed.

In a corner of the meditation room, eight jade bottles of the same design, pure white and as warm as mutton-fat jade, were already neatly arranged.

Each jade bottle emitted a faint but pure full moon Qi, and profound runes faintly shimmered on the bottle's surface.

These were the results of Li Qinghe's efforts over the past eight months, refining and sealing the Qi every full moon.

There were still twenty-eight months, over two years, until the final refinement of that strand of "Pure Qi of Lunar Essence."

Li Qinghe slowly withdrew his technique, the divine light in his eyes restrained like the moon reflected in a deep pool.

He stood up, his gaze sweeping over the eight jade bottles, calm and unruffled. He could afford to wait for three years!

...Meanwhile, above Li Family Village.

A streak of emerald light tore through the sky, carrying a low hum. It approached from afar and, in an instant, hovered directly above the center of Li Family Village!

A massive shadow loomed over them, and the emblem of the Qingxuan Immortal Mountain gleamed in the sunlight, radiating a heart-palpitating majesty!

"What... what is that?!"

"A... a boat flying in the sky?!"

"An immortal! Has an immortal descended to earth?!"

The entire Li Family Village instantly erupted into a commotion!

Villagers looked up in terror and awe, children hid in their mothers' arms, and old people knelt down tremblingly.

Seeing the familiar outline of Li Family Village grow clearer below, Li Qingfeng stood at the bow, his heart surging. After four years away, he had finally returned!

"Pillar!" Li Qingfeng said in a deep voice.

"Understood!" Wang Tiezhu grinned, took a deep breath, and his spiritual power surged!

"Listen up, elders and kin of Li Family Village! I am Wang Tiezhu! A Disciple of the Military Dao Peak of the Azure Profound Upper Sect! I have come today by the Sect's decree to escort Immortal Master Li Qingfeng on his glorious return to his hometown! Everyone, gather at the village threshing floor immediately! Do not delay!"