91: Playing with grandchildren and observing the mysterious, Lingqi conveys messages.

In the following days, Qi Yuan lived in seclusion and rarely went out, never leaving Green Cloud Mountain even by a single step.

With sinister enemies like the "Four Fiends of Xuan Mountain" lurking in the shadows, he did not dare to make any more conspicuous moves.

He feared alerting the enemy or drawing even more unpredictable scrutiny.

This forced silence instead gave him a rare opportunity to fully settle his heart and polish himself.

Deep within his Immortal Cave, he would often sit for several days at a time.

The Mind-Cultivation Technique of the "Yimu Longevity Sword Art" flowed slowly through his heart.

Pure wood-attribute spiritual power circulated through specific Meridians in cycles, constantly being tempered and purified.

The azure Sword Qi flickered unpredictably, sometimes condensing like a foot of green jade, and sometimes dispersing like a hazy halo.

Two feet of Sword Qi seemed only one foot away from the "three-foot limit" described in the sword art.

But polishing this final distance often required several times more time and effort than before.

Qi Yuan was neither hurried nor impatient; every circulation of spiritual power and every condensation and dispersal of Sword Qi deepened his understanding of himself.

Aside from his Cultivation, he also had to attend to Family matters, though his state of mind held a bit more scrutiny and lamentation than before.

The first four sons of the Qi Family had all married and started families.

The eldest son, Xuan Jin, and Zhao Qingwan had been married for several years; both were dedicated to the path of immortality, encouraging each other with deep affection, and had yet to bear any children.

Although Qi Yuan felt a slight regret about this, he respected their choice.

For those on the path of the Dao, Primordial Yang and Primordial Yin were related to one's Dao foundation, so focusing on Cultivation in one's early years was only natural.

On the other hand, the three sons Xuan Peak, Xuan Tian, and Xuanming had already branched out, adding many grandchildren to the Family.

Among them, the fourth son Xuan Tian had the most offspring, with roughly over ten children surrounding him.

Qi Yuan remembered those pillow talks with Zhou Qianer from years ago and understood.

The "private reward" he had promised back then was likely used by this quick-witted partner of his, becoming the greatest motivation to urge their son to "work hard."

That Xuan Tian could Breakthrough to Mid-Stage Qi Refining so quickly was likely due to Zhou Qianer subsidizing him with her accumulated Spirit Stones and Medicinal Pills over the years, in addition to his own diligence.

Xuan Tian had many children, but he was far less "lavish" than Qi Yuan had been back then.

Qi Yuan knew that one spirit nurturing pill he had purchased during his first trip to the Nanyue Mountains remained.

Family resources needed to be allocated collectively; it was impossible to grant one to every concubine upon pregnancy as he had done for his own children back then.

However, he did tacitly allow Xuan Tian to use that last remaining spirit nurturing pill on Tao Zhiwei.

Thinking of that woman who lived quietly at the foot of the mountain, whose Dantian was crippled yet who remained resilient, a trace of complex emotion passed through Qi Yuan's heart.

Now that the Qi Family was weak and isolated, this was all they could do.

During gaps in his Cultivation, Qi Yuan would also walk out of his Immortal Cave to stroll through the mountains or visit his grandchildren who were currently drawing Qi into their bodies.

This brief "joy of playing with grandchildren" became a rare relaxation for his tightened heartstrings.

The performance of his eldest grandson, Qi Qingxia, gave him the most comfort in his old age.

An Aptitude of Low Grade Three Spiritual Roots was not top-tier, but his speed in sensing Qi was extremely fast; in just over half a month, he could vaguely sense the existence of Spiritual Qi. This speed was not much slower than Xuan Qing or Xuan Lin back then.

What was even rarer was that this child had a calm Heart-Nature; he mastered the "Bone Changing Breath Exchange Art" taught to him very quickly, learning by analogy.

Qi Yuan secretly measured him based on past experience; according to the standards of the "Evergreen Soul Tracing Seal," Qingxia's Comprehension Ability could probably reach a level of "seven" or even "eight."

This meant that he would achieve twice the result with half the effort when practicing common techniques and scriptures.

Watching Qingxia practice his breathing and expiration with a serious face in the morning light, his small figure exuded a rare focus.

The gloom that had shrouded Qi Yuan's heart over the past month could not help but be thinned a bit.

This favoritism toward his eldest grandson was sometimes so obvious that even the young ninth son, Xuan Xiao, would secretly curl his lip, showing a bit of childish envy.

Qi Yuan saw this but had his own plans.

He secretly estimated that with Qingxia's Aptitude and Comprehension Ability, combined with the Family's full support and Medicinal Pills, it shouldn't take too long to reach the Qi Refining Third Layer.

The third generation of the Qi Family already had a promising talent who could make one's eyes light up so soon.

How could this not bring joy to him, the head of the Family who exhausted his mind for its future?

With his mood improved, Qi Yuan's attitude toward his second son, Xuan Peak, also became much gentler.

He was not unaware that Xuan Peak had been obsessed with martial arts since reaching adulthood and had been like a stranger to his wife, Lady Li, never sharing a bed.

Over the years, besides Cultivating, Xuan Peak had searched through various channels for fragments and ancient books that might be related to "immortal cultivation" or "ancient times," wasting a lot of gold, silver, and wealth.

After the eldest son Xuan Jin took over the Family management, his attitude toward Xuan Peak's behavior was exactly the same as their birth mother Concubine Ye's—tacitly allowing it and even secretly providing a lot of convenience.

Qi Yuan was well aware of the Family's gold and silver that Xuan Peak had "misappropriated."

Most of it was likely his elder brother Xuan Jin intentionally helping him, turning a blind eye.

"He is his son after all..."

Qi Yuan sighed softly in his heart.

It was just some mundane gold and silver; if it could buy Xuan Peak peace of mind, he would let him be.

His gaze fell back on Qi Qingxia again, and Qi Yuan had already made a decision.

"This child still needs to live on the mountain for a long time to be carefully taught and looked after."

He thought to himself.

Although the manor at the foot of the mountain was lively, it was ultimately too full of mundane air, and the people there were complicated.

This good sprout's Heart-Nature was not yet settled; he must not be led astray or distracted by unnecessary trifles.

Time passed quietly, and in the blink of an eye, Qi Yuan had lived in seclusion on the mountain for nearly two years.

During these two years, he truly focused his energy on his own Cultivation and the training of core disciples.

Some new atmosphere had also been added to the mountain.

The child of the third son Xuanming, Qi Qingge, possessed a Spiritual Root and was now eight years old, entering Green Cloud Mountain to Cultivate.

Qi Yuan had not intervened much in Xuanming's marriage; it was a woman from a small Family whom Xuanming had met on his own when he went to the county city to take the imperial examinations in his early years. She was gentle and managed the household well.

Qi Yuan was already quite satisfied with this.

Neither Xuanming nor Xuan Peak had a Spiritual Root, but both had a child with one, which was already not easy.

On this morning, when the Spiritual Qi in the mountains was at its clearest and most active.

Qi Yuan took his ninth son Xuan Xiao and his eldest grandson Qingxia to a medicinal garden on the mountainside.

The garden did not contain rare spirit plants, but mostly basic spiritual materials of Low Grade rank one, commonly used for refining low-level Medicinal Pills or preparing Talisman ink.

However, these plants were growing well, with plump leaves and faint spiritual light flowing through their veins, showing they were very meticulously cared for.

"We will not practice techniques today."

Qi Yuan pointed to the vibrant spirit plants in the garden, his voice calm.

"The hundred arts of immortal cultivation are mostly inseparable from the vegetation of this world.

Only by recognizing their nature, understanding their principles, and knowing when to harvest and how to process them can one make the best use of everything."

He casually picked up a leaf of a Ningqing Flower, a very faint green light appearing on his fingertips as he gently brushed over the leaf veins:

"Observe the direction of its patterns. When the leaf tips are slightly curled and the color is deep, that is when its soul-soothing medicinal effect is most concentrated. Beyond that, the Spiritual Qi begins to dissipate..."

Qi Qingxia listened very seriously, his eyes fixed on his grandfather's fingers and the changes in the leaf, as if he wanted to carve every detail into his mind.

Beside him, Qi Xuan Xiao was somewhat distracted, his foot unconsciously tapping a small pebble on the ground.

Just as he was about to explain the characteristics of the neighboring spirit plant, the transmission Talisman hanging at his waist suddenly emitted a wave of warmth!

Qi Yuan's words stopped abruptly. His expression remained unchanged, but deep in his eyes, a sharpness like a sword suddenly appeared.

The gentle aura from his teaching a moment ago vanished without a trace.

Nearly two years of silent waiting, of being relaxed on the outside but tense on the inside... finally, the message from Ling Qi had arrived.