Family Cultivation: I Become a Mirror-Chapter 72 Ancient Secret Technique

Li Tongya descended the mountain and pondered over Xiao Chuting’s words for a while, thinking to himself:

"What does this mean? Even the Xiao Family knows about the Tang Jin Sect’s move southward. Why is the Green Pond Sect so indifferent, allowing Tang Jin Sect to rampage through the Mushroom Forest Plain?"

With a thought, Li Tongya’s heart skipped a beat as he muttered to himself:

"This is bad. Once the Wan Family is wiped out, the Ji Family will trap my Li Family within Da Li Mountain. When the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold. Xiangping will surely employ the Dharma Mirror to act, and I don’t know what the situation is now. I should hurry home."

"But now the Mushroom Forest Plain is aflame with war. It would be a long detour to go around. It would be quicker to wait for two or three days."

As he mulled over these matters, Li Tongya’s brow gradually furrowed, but then he heard a loud call:

"Brother Tongya!"

Li Tongya turned his head in surprise and saw Xiao Yongling hurrying from behind, smiling as he grasped Li Tongya’s hand and exclaimed:

"It’s been many years since we’ve seen each other. How come you didn’t come to find me when you were at the Xiao Family’s place? I patrolled around that broken tavern for several days without seeing either of you."

"By the way, where is Brother Wan?"

Li Tongya exhaled softly and answered:

"When I left home and passed by the Wan Family, I didn’t see Wan Yuankai. Having heard about the Tang Jin Sect moving south, I’m afraid Huaqian Mountain has already been breached by now, and Brother Wan... is likely in dire straits."

Xiao Yongling suddenly paused and looked somber, sighing deeply:

"Alas, humans have fortunes and misfortunes as unpredictable as the weather; it’s something unavoidable."

While strolling through the market at the foot of the mountain with Li Tongya, Xiao Yongling idly chatted a few sentences before becoming serious:

"I heard that Brother Tongya has been cultivating in Yujing for many years and is only one step away from the Fetal Breathing Peak’s Lingchu Wheel. I wonder if you’ve prepared the Qi Cultivation Stage spell and decided on which type of nature’s spiritual energy to consume?"

Li Tongya gave a wry smile and replied softly:

"Not to hide it from you, Brother Xiao, my family has only one set of Second Grade cultivation techniques, the ’Tianyuan Qi Cultivation Method’. This cultivation technique is also for absorbing that minor Spiritual Energy. We don’t have any method of gathering qi at home, and it’s quite a headache that I probably have to go to the market to buy minor Spiritual Energy."

Xiao Yongling was momentarily stunned. From childhood, he had been calculating the accumulation time of elixir toxins and taking elixirs, customizing magic artifacts according to his preferences, and freely choosing cultivation techniques and secret techniques. Li Tongya’s answer clearly caught the indulged Xiao Yongling by surprise, leaving him speechless for a while.

Li Tongya, however, didn’t mind and was silently calculating this year’s harvest. Accounting for the tribute of two hundred jin, he still had over two hundred and sixty jin of Spirit Rice and seven Bai Yuan fruits left in his Storage Bag, totaling about four Spirit Stones’ worth.

The three Wu Moth larvae at home spun silk twelve times in five years, making three silk cottons valued at half a Spirit Stone. As for the Spiritual Talisman Technique left by Li Chijin, Li Tongya had studied it for five years and had just begun to grasp some of the tricks, having produced one or two finished products. To this day, he had yet dared to actually use Talisman Paper for it.

Li Tongya and Li Xiangping were meticulous with their family budget. One Spirit Stone could only buy thirty sheets of Talisman Paper, and a Fetal Breathing Realm Talisman would usually cost one Spirit Stone for three sheets. To have one successful Talisman among ten attempts was just enough to cover the cost of the Talisman Paper, not to mention the Talisman Ink, so they obviously didn’t dare to draw them recklessly.

Li Tongya was thinking of finding a place to sell these Spiritual Objects when he heard Xiao Yongling speak up with a complicated expression:

"This minor Spiritual Energy usually requires about forty Spirit Stones. Have you prepared enough Spirit Stones, Brother Tongya?"

Li Tongya shook his head and said with a smile:

"I’m in no rush. The price of this minor Spiritual Energy is exorbitant, equivalent to fifty years of my family’s income. I’d rather save up Spirit Stones and see. With a lifespan often reaching up to one hundred and twenty years in the Fetal Breathing Realm, I have plenty of time."

Xiao Yongling looked at him in a daze and then said softly:

"Brother Tongya achieved Yujing at the age of thirty, and attaining Qi Cultivation is in sight. Your talent is considered quite good, but you are burdened by your clan... It truly is a pity. If you were born in one of the Noble Families, you would definitely surpass Yongling by a hundredfold!"

Li Tongya raised an eyebrow and, seeing Xiao Yongling quite reflective, chuckled and said:

"Hahaha, what kind of talk is that? The ways of the world are tough, and it has always been about banding together for warmth. You may look at my Li Family in its current plight, but it is only through the centuries of our ancestors’ savings that we have had enough chance to step into the Immortal Sect. It’s not about being burdened by the family but rather being made by the family."

Xiao Yongling nodded thoughtfully and laughed:

"Yongling has learned his lesson."

Li Tongya laughed and shook his head, his gaze slowly moving over the stall and he said seriously:

"Brother Yongling, this Qi Cultivation technique... may I know the price?"

"If it’s one of those seven or eight common Loose Cultivator techniques, it probably won’t take more than a few Spirit Stones, and they are sold at roadside stalls."

Xiao Yongling pointed to a loft in front of them and explained:

"If you’re looking to buy a Second Grade or above Orthodox Law, you’d need to visit several stores, typically costing several tens to hundreds of Spirit Stones. Some stores sell techniques together with nature’s spiritual energy, saving the time to search and gather Qi, but those are quite more expensive."

"Of course, there are also ancient and Secret Techniques, whose prices fluctuate greatly, all according to the individual."

Li Tongya frowned and asked with curiosity:

"Ancient and Secret Techniques?"

Xiao Yongling smiled lightly and explained:

"All techniques originate from one Qi. If one cannot find the Qi sought within the technique, then it cannot be practiced. Often with the changing times, either the Qi Gathering Method is lost, or the environment that generates the nature’s spiritual energy is destroyed. Some nature’s spiritual energy can no longer be found, thus many accompanying techniques lack one Qi and turn into useless objects. Such techniques are called ancient techniques."

Seeing Li Tongya listening intently, Xiao Yongling nodded and smiled:

"Then there’s another type of techniques, referred to as Secret Techniques."

"Some Noble Families or Sects inherit such wondrous ancient techniques, but because they lack one Qi and can’t be practiced, they slowly modify the techniques, replacing it with another Qi or two, which are called Secret Techniques."

Li Tongya nodded in sudden understanding, then eagerly agreed and said:

"That’s quite a good approach."

Xiao Yongling shook his head, his desire to vent inwardly growing stronger, and laughed:

"The techniques hastily modified by later generations can never be as reliable as those refined by predecessors over thousands of years. Not only are these Secret Techniques weaker than the original versions, but they often have various flaws. My Xiao Family has several enforcers who cultivated Secret Techniques, and being slow in their cultivation is the least of their problems; some even need Elixirs to sustain their lives."

"I see."

Only then did Li Tongya nod and laugh:

"Whether it’s ancient techniques, Secret Techniques, or Orthodox Law, my pockets are empty, and I can’t afford anything anyway."

Xiao Yongling shook his head and said earnestly:

"Brother Tongya must not belittle himself. With an exceptional genius in the Sect and a frugal household with you, it won’t take many years for the name of the Lijing Li Family to resonate through this ancient Lidao."

Li Tongya gave a wry smile and shook his head, politely exchanging a few words but inwardly pondering:

"The Green Pond Sect’s actions are unpredictable, and there are many secrets in the affair of ambushing the Immortal Mansion Descendant. I just hope that Jing’er can be safe and sound within the Sect and not get caught in those whirlpools."