58: With the cultivation level at the eighth level, all matters gradually become clear.

A strange look crossed Qi Xuanjin's face; he naturally thought of his second brother, Xuan Peak.

Xuan Peak had risked his life to save Zhao Qingwan, so he could be said to have a history of sharing "trials and tribulations" with her.

Furthermore, although Xuan Peak lacked a Spiritual Root, his martial arts had already entered the Bone Refining Realm, and his Heart-Nature was brave and resolute. In his eyes, the two seemed like a good match.

However, after their father took back Xuan Peak's "Concentric Jade" back then, he did not reissue it, and his attitude was somewhat subtle.

Logically, although Xuan Peak acted recklessly this time, it was a blessing in disguise as he exposed the Jiang Family's conspiracy, which should be considered a merit.

Their father's personal trip to Suibo County must have yielded results as well, yet after returning, he showed no special recognition for Xuan Peak... "The Zhao Family... did not specify anyone."

Qi Xuanjin replied carefully, "They only said they would leave everything to Father's decision."

He paused, ultimately deciding not to recommend Xuan Peak directly, and only added,

"The Zhao Family stated that Lady Zhao is still young and her Spiritual Root is not yet clear. The marriage contract can establish the status first, and then the specific person and wedding date can be discussed later."

Qi Xuanjin sighed inwardly.

The Zhao Family's failure to specify Xuan Peak was likely precisely because of their concerns regarding his "lack of a Spiritual Root."

In a Family alliance, Spiritual Root Aptitude is of paramount importance.

But it just so happened that Xuan Peak was the one who saved Zhao Qingwan... If the marriage contract between Xuan Peak and Zhao Qingwan isn't settled early, complications will inevitably arise once other brothers with Spiritual Roots have more contact with Zhao Qingwan, making it even harder to handle then.

However, as the eldest brother, it was not appropriate for him to speak so bluntly in front of his father.

Qi Yuan's gaze was deep, seemingly seeing through some of his eldest son's thoughts, but he did not point it out, only saying calmly:

"I understand this matter.

Since Zhao Qingwan is staying on the mountain, settle her in well and raise her alongside the other children.

As for the marriage contract... note it down for now, and we will discuss it further later.

You go down first and arrange things for these three children."

"Yes, Father."

Qi Xuanjin took his orders and led the three ignorant children out of the Immortal Cave.

Qi Yuan sat alone on the blue stone bench, his fingertips unintentionally tapping the table again.

Xuan Peak... Qi Yuan silently repeated the name in his heart as his thoughts surged.

The reason he had specifically brought back three children with Spiritual Roots from Linchuan Prefecture after intimidating the Jiang Family,

One layer of meaning behind it was to use this to warn his second son, Qi Xuanfeng.

He wanted Xuan Peak to understand that his Qi Family was no longer the struggling new clan of the past that needed to travel far to Heishan Prefecture and go through great trouble just to bring back one or two seedlings with Spiritual Roots.

Outsiders with Spiritual Roots were not that important to him or the Qi Family.

In Qi Yuan's eyes, Xuan Peak's actions this time revealed a sense of fearlessness born from the "Concentric Jade."

If he hadn't bestowed that life-saving jade upon him years ago, giving him the confidence to face a Cultivator,

With his mundane martial artist cultivation at the Bone Refining Realm, how would he dare to actually provoke or track a Cultivator?

That would be no different from seeking death.

Courage is certainly commendable, but this courage was largely built upon external objects.

Taking back the "Concentric Jade" was both a punishment for his reckless behavior and a way to strip away this "dependency" that caused his misjudgment.

Qi Yuan felt a headache coming on.

This was just one Xuan Peak, who lacked a Spiritual Root but had high spirits, and he was already causing such a "stir."

Below him were Xuanming, Xuantian, Xuan Qing... they either had different talents or unsettled Heart-Natures. Once they gradually grew up and had their own ideas, Green Cloud Mountain would likely become even more "lively."

A flourishing Family population is a good thing, but if they cannot be properly guided and rules established, internal friction and disputes may breed, consuming the Family's Origin Qi.

However, this wisp of worry was soon diluted by another matter.

His three wives and concubines—Liu Yueer, Su Wantang, and Zhou Qianer—had all now steadily stepped into Middle Stage Qi Refining.

From now on, trivial matters could be assigned according to each person's strengths.

As the Family head, he could then extricate himself from more daily mundane affairs and concentrate his energy more on himself.

"Finally... I can relax a little."

Qi Yuan let out a soft breath, a flash of relief after exhaustion passing through his eyes... Time flew by, and in the quiet cultivation on the mountain, there was no sense of years; in the blink of an eye, a year had passed.

Qi Yuan sat cross-legged in the quiet room deep within the Immortal Cave. The Spiritual Qi around him slowly receded like a tide, finally returning to his Dantian Qi Sea, stable and abundant.

He opened his eyes, a sharp light contained within them, and his bearing became increasingly composed.

"Eighth Layer of Qi Refining... it's finally stabilized."

He thought to himself, a sense of comfort welling up.

Ever since breaking through to Late Stage Qi Refining and cultivating to this point, although there were no stormy waves, he had progressed steadily.

However, deep in his heart, a trace of unspeakable regret would occasionally arise—since his cultivation improved, he had not yet truly fought a hearty battle with a Cultivator of the same rank.

The wonders of the Sword Qi from the "Yimu Longevity Sword Art" were mostly explored in solitary contemplation, lacking the tempering of actual combat.

The brief confrontation with Jiang Heming outside Suibo County was less of a fight and more of a restrained strike under mutual testing and intimidation; even Sword Qi was never triggered.

Thinking about it now, this kind of "Hiding One's Edge" might be a good thing.

Exposing it too early would inevitably attract greed and add unnecessary turmoil to the Family.

It was precisely out of cherishing this Legacy that a year ago, using the excuse of Xuan Lin's "mistake" and quiet reflection, he had quietly laid down a Restriction.

On the surface, it was to restrain his flighty nature and take precautions, but in reality, it was to add a layer of insurance for when he would teach him the Yimu Longevity Sword Art in the future.

Similar arrangements were made for the other children.

The actual Spiritual Root quality of Xuan Qing and the still-young Xuan Tong were both superior to the Low Grade announced to the public.

A tree that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind.

The Qi Family was newly established and did not yet have the strength to protect all its geniuses to grow safely.

Regarding Xuan Qing, Qi Yuan was at ease, and he even occasionally felt a trace of guilt toward the child because of this "concealment."

Xuan Qing had a quiet and resilient nature, and more importantly, he understood his father's painstaking efforts and had never shown the slightest complaint about it.

This maturity and sense of responsibility, far exceeding his age, made Qi Yuan both gratified and somewhat pained for him.

Walking out of the quiet room, the sunlight outside the Immortal Cave was just right.

The atmosphere in the mountains was slightly different from a year ago.

The flow of Spiritual Qi was more orderly, and the various spiritual fields and herb gardens were managed meticulously. They had even opened up ten acres of new fields, planted with spirit plants suitable for assisting Qi Refining Cultivators in their cultivation.

The three wives and concubines now mostly resided on Green Cloud Mountain. Besides their own cultivation, they could also find time to guide the children's cultivation or assist Xuan Qing in taking care of the spirit plants.

Xuan Qing's talent in spirit plants was increasingly apparent, and with Qi Yuan's guidance, he was now able to independently manage ten acres of spiritual fields and was already quite proficient in the preliminary processing of several common Talisman Materials.

This lightened the burden on Qi Yuan's shoulders considerably.

Now, besides his daily unwavering personal cultivation, comprehension of the sword art, and regular visits to the herb garden outside the Immortal Cave to tend to the "condensing jade sword fungus," the daily Family mundane affairs Qi Yuan needed to personally attend to had greatly decreased.

However, while sitting quietly occasionally, he would also unobtrusively observe his three Dao Companions.

The Comprehension Ability of Liu Yueer and Zhou Qianer was indeed inferior to that of Su Wantang.

In the early years during the Early Stage of Qi Refining, everyone was just focused on accumulating spiritual power, so the gap was not yet obvious.

Now that they had reached the Middle Stage, the difference was gradually becoming apparent.

Su Wantang understood the Cultivation Techniques faster and mastered spells more precisely.

Qi Yuan had a faint suspicion in his heart that this might be related to the Child Seal of the "Evergreen Soul Tracing Seal."