59: New sprouts grow, old sorrows resurface.

Although he had applied the seal many times, he had never found any trace of Child Seal residue within the offspring successfully conceived.

It was as if all the power of that mark had perfectly merged into the Origin of the new life.

However, for the mother who bore and nurtured the mark, would there be some subtle, soul-enhancing effects?

'If that is the case... this Evergreen Soul Tracing Seal is even more miraculous than I imagined.

It is not just about the continuation of the Bloodline; it actually benefits the mother as well?'

Qi Yuan pondered secretly, but this matter was difficult to verify, and even more impossible to speak of.

Perhaps it could only be left for the future to observe further... A year's time was enough for many changes to occur on a mountain.

The current Green Cloud Mountain was no longer the way it was at the beginning, with only a few scattered Immortal Caves.

Heading up along the cleared, level mountain path, one could see rows of simple stone and wood houses, neatly distributed across the gentle slopes from the mountainside to the foot.

These houses were mostly built with bluestone from the mountain as Foundations and wood as beams and pillars, with roofs covered in specially treated thatch or tiles.

Though lacking the luxury of carved beams and painted rafters, they possessed a heavy aura that blended with the mountain.

Most of these houses were built stone by stone and beam by beam by the Family's own disciples.

Qi Yuan had clear requirements for this:

All those living on the mountain, aside from necessary Cultivation, study, and completing designated tasks, had to participate in labor such as mountain construction and spiritual field farming.

A Cultivator's physique is stronger than a Mortal's, so doing these things wasn't too strenuous, yet it could wear away some of their impetuous and arrogant air.

Qi Yuan knew well that Family Cultivators, especially the new generation who hadn't experienced much hardship,

were often inferior to Loose Cultivators of the same Realm in terms of actual combat, adaptability, and even Heart-Nature.

He had no intention of letting the disciples venture into dangerous places for training too early for now.

The Qi Family was newly established with a shallow Foundation; the loss of any disciple with a Spiritual Root would be a huge loss.

This did not mean they should be pampered in a greenhouse.

These daily labors that "toughen the mind and weary the bones" were a form of tempering.

Moreover, after the initial adjustment of the Formations and the guiding of the earth veins on Green Cloud Mountain, the concentration of Spiritual Qi was no longer comparable to the mundane world outside.

Even outside the core Immortal Cave area, just near these houses, the Spiritual Qi was sufficient to meet the daily breathing and Cultivation needs of Early-stage Qi Refining Cultivators.

The Qi Family was different from the Jiang Family; they would not drive those with Spiritual Roots off the mountain just for a bit of Spiritual Qi... From a quiet courtyard on the mountain, the clear sound of children reading could be heard.

"The world has Spiritual Qi, and all things are nurtured by it.

A Cultivator draws Qi into the body, guiding it through the meridians; this is the beginning of the pursuit of truth..."

Beside a stone table in the courtyard sat a young girl in a goose-yellow dress, with delicate features and a calm temperament; it was indeed Zhao Qingwan.

After a year of nourishment from the mountain's Spiritual Qi, she had long since shed the panic she felt when she first arrived; she had grown a bit taller, and her features had matured, appearing even more beautiful.

At this moment, she held a handwritten scroll of the "Basic Essentials of Drawing Qi" and was patiently explaining it to the three children before her.

These three children were the two girls and one boy Qi Yuan had brought back from Linchuan Prefecture a year ago.

A year had passed, and they had also undergone massive changes.

Their former sallow, thin, and ragged appearance was long gone, replaced by healthy complexions and bright eyes.

Among them, the girl with delicate features was now called "Chang Xin," and she possessed a Low Grade Four Spiritual Roots.

She studied the most seriously, her small back held straight, her dark, round eyes fixed on the scroll in Zhao Qingwan's hand, nodding gently from time to time.

The other girl was named "Qiu Shi," with a Low Grade Five Spiritual Roots.

She had a somewhat shy and quiet personality, but she listened very carefully, occasionally biting her lip when she encountered something she didn't understand.

The only boy was named "Shou Zhuo," also with a Low Grade Five Spiritual Roots.

He was a bit younger than the two girls and somewhat restless, his gaze occasionally drifting toward the birds hopping in the bamboo forest outside the window.

Zhao Qingwan's voice was clear and pleasant, and her explanations were easy to understand.

She not only taught them to read and write and explained the most basic common knowledge of Cultivation, but she also took care of their daily lives.

This was Qi Xuanjin's arrangement—teaching the children helped her consolidate what she had learned.

It also implicitly served to observe her Heart-Nature, foster affection for the Qi Family, and give her something to do.

In the distance, Qi Yuan stood with his hands behind his back outside his Immortal Cave, his Spiritual Sense faintly sweeping over the area, taking in the scene in the courtyard.

Seeing Zhao Qingwan's calm teaching, a look of satisfaction flashed in Qi Yuan's eyes.

This girl had a gentle Heart-Nature, excellent patience, and conducted herself in an orderly manner.

Keeping her on the mountain seemed to be a good move for now.

The marriage... Qi Yuan's thoughts shifted slightly; there was no rush.

Xuan Jin, the eldest, was only seventeen and hadn't fully matured yet.

Zhao Qingwan was also young; it was too early to talk about marriage.

However, he did need to start paying attention to this; in the future, when choosing spouses for the disciples, he would need to consider character and unity with the Family.

As for Zhao Qingwan, Qi Yuan had only passed down the most basic Early-stage Qi Refining Cultivation Technique for now.

More profound techniques, Talismans, or even spirit plant and Formation Legacies would naturally not be taught lightly yet.

Even in some established families with deeper roots, disciples with different surnames or from branch lines would need to undergo trials and accumulate contributions to obtain a Legacy.

The Qi Family was newly established; providing them with a stable Cultivation environment and opportunities for growth was already a great grace.

The three counties of Yunze... Qi Yuan's gaze turned toward the mist-shrouded distance below the mountain.

Since he could find a few overlooked talents in Linchuan Prefecture, there was no reason why the three counties of Cloud Dream, where his own Foundation lay, wouldn't have good prospects with Spiritual Roots.

In the past, before the Qi Family was established, he hadn't dared to investigate seriously for fear of having his tracks discovered by other Cultivators.

Later, his energy was limited, and the Foundation was unstable.

Now that Family affairs were gradually being shared and his own Cultivation had stabilized at the Eighth Layer of Qi Refining,

he could actually spend some time conducting a thorough investigation in these three counties.

After all, the future expansion of the Family, the marriages of disciples, and even the cultivation of loyal and reliable vassal forces would all require more "inner circle" people.

Furthermore, the triennial Tribute Period was approaching... Qi Yuan calculated in his mind.

This time, some preparations needed to be made in advance... Inside the stone room of the Immortal Cave.

Su Wantang sat before a green jade desk, having just finished drawing Talismans.

Her success rate in drawing First-Tier Low Grade Talismans had stabilized at around sixty percent; while not top-tier, it was enough to fully support her own Cultivation needs and even leave a slight surplus.

However, a layer of light sorrow clouded her brow.

"Knock, knock."

The stone door was tapped gently.

Qi Yuan collected his thoughts and strolled over.

Now that more people were living in the Immortal Cave, many had already entered the Mid-Stage Qi Refining and developed Spiritual Sense.

If things remained as open as before, daily life and private whispers during Cultivation would inevitably interfere with one another, which was quite inconvenient.

To this end, a year ago, Qi Yuan had specifically invited a Formation master to spend several days carefully engraving Soundproofing and Sense-blocking Formation Patterns in the nine main stone rooms inside the Immortal Cave.

He only knew how to use a Formation Plate and had no real accomplishments in setting up Formations.

"Tang'er."

Su Wantang rose to greet him, forcing a smile. "Husband, you're here."

She looked at Qi Yuan.

Vaguely, his youthful handsomeness was still visible, but the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes were fine and dense, and his temples were already touched with frost.

That trace of sorrow did not dissipate; instead, it grew heavier in her heart because of the vicissitudes of life brought on by his hard work.

Qi Yuan naturally noticed the oddity in her expression. He stepped closer, naturally took her slightly cool hand, and said softly:

"What's wrong? Why is your brow so tightly furrowed?"