Chapter 244: Demoted to a Minor Sect

"A Daoist Master of the Purple Mansion Realm?!"

Fei Luoya was startled by the revelation. Previously he had only heard that the ancestor of the Li Family held a prestigious position within the Azure Pond Sect and showed potential of reaching the Purple Mansion Realm, but he had never imagined that a Daoist Master of the Purple Mansion Realm would humbly address the Li Family as brothers. The gap between them was vast, not measurable by ordinary standards, and for a moment, he didn't know what to say.

Although Fei Luoya had spent many years in seclusion on Mount Wu and didn't quite grasp the art of social interaction and speech, he was no fool. His mind quickly turned, and he thought to himself,

This is not just potential for the Purple Mansion Realm; their starting point is the Purple Mansion Realm, with prospects for the Golden Core Realm. To have a Daoist Master of the Purple Mansion Realm lower himself to address Li Tongya as a brother is truly unbelievable.

Observing Li Tongya's calm and composed demeanor, Fei Luoya suddenly had an epiphany, and internally exclaimed in shock,

This is probably not about a hefty reward! It's clear that some Purple Mansion Realm cultivator is using his influence for personal gain, leveraging the Azure Pond Sect's procurement channels to profit the Li Family, aiming to please that Li Che... Sword Immortal. Li Tongya is not only making a friendly gesture but also issuing a warning!

This thought lingered in his mind for a while, and as Fei Luoya grew more convinced of his speculations, he couldn't help but praise his own clear and sharp mind. He marveled at how capable he was of deducing conclusions from a single instance, and thought to himself,

The world of mortals truly hides mysteries in every phrase... We people of Mount Yue are as pure as white jade. Fortunately, I was born astute, able to deduce the deeper truths from slight hints!

Fei Luoya's smile grew even warmer and he praised, "Your clan is truly remarkable, I admire it."

Li Tongya chuckled softly, knowing that this man had likely understood his hint. After chatting briefly with Fei Luoya, he said with a smile, "The Daoist Master of the Xiao Family has made a breakthrough, and I must attend the ceremony, so I will not stay long. I will visit you again soon, brother!"

"Go ahead, Brother Tongya... do not mind me! From now on, you are welcome to come and go freely in my mountain, no need for formalities!" Fei Luoya said warmly, now calling him 'brother', and he dared not delay matters concerning a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator.

He saw Li Tongya off with a beaming smile and breathed a sigh of relief once the man was gone, murmuring, "What a relief! The grudge between the Li Family and me has been resolved! Li Tongya is unassuming and keeps a low profile, but he is a man of deep thoughts! After this conversation, I now realize that I was easily led by the nose!"

Reflecting on the conversation, Fei Luoya gritted his teeth slightly and muttered softly to himself, "Never mind him now. Fu Daimu has already made a breakthrough to the late Foundation Establishment Realm... If I were to offend the Li Family now, I would be walking toward my own demise. This arrangement now is for the best!"

————

Li Tongya had finally resolved the issue with the spirit herb, and he was feeling great. He flew eastward for a while, crossing numerous forests and finally landing on Mount Lijing.

Li Xuanxuan was in the courtyard, drawing talismans. Seeing Li Tongya land, he quickly left his seat and cupped his fist, greeting him.

"Second Uncle!"

"Mm," Li Tongya responded with a smile, twirling his beard. "The matter of the spirit herb has been resolved... now I just need to go and offer my congratulations," he added after a brief pause.

Li Tongya had been running around east and west for the past two weeks, inquiring everywhere until he had finally resolved the matter.

Seeing him covered in dust, Li Xuanxuan smiled. "Second Uncle is indeed amazing," he praised earnestly.

However, Li Tongya simply sighed in response and waved his hand dismissively. "I also resolved the old grudge with Fei Luoya along the way. As a cultivator from Mount Yue in the Foundation Establishment Realm, he has no great demands from mortals or the land, so there are no deep-seated hatreds or fundamental conflicts of interest between our families, and hence support is possible!" he declared.

"Moreover, Fei Luoya's shamanic spells are tricky and terrifying. This trip to the west not only removed apprehension but might also turn into a headache for our enemies in the future, which is not bad at all!" he continued as he lightly clapped his hands.

Li Tongya took the main seat after sharing his thoughts, and then asked, "How have things been recently?"

Li Xuanxuan's eyebrows lifted with joy as he nodded continuously and whispered, "Xuanfeng has gone into the mountains several times to slay demons, and found an opportunity to break through to the seventh heavenly layer of the Qi cultivation Realm. He says that unaffiliated Qi Cultivation Realm demons in the mountains are becoming rarer, so he has gone into seclusion to break through."

"Yuanyun has reached a suitable age, and Xuanling has selected a maiden with a spiritual orifice for him, set a good date for their wedding, and returned to the mountain to go into seclusion. Household affairs are still managed by me, but..." Li Xuanxuan paused, then continued, "Mount Lijing is not a famous mountain or major vein, and the spiritual qi is insufficient. With too many Qi Cultivators on the mountain, the concentration of spiritual qi keeps decreasing, which is really not conducive for our cultivation. This is still when Second Uncle is not cultivating on the mountain... and if another Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator were to be added to the list, I fear we all won't be able to cultivate at all."

Li Tongya frowned slightly and asked in a low voice, "What about Mount Huaqian?"

"Donghe and An Zheyan are cultivating on Mount Huaqian, and Uncle Qiuyang is also in seclusion there trying to make a breakthrough. Mount Huaqian has a spirit spring and could still accommodate two or three more cultivators, but its formations are incomplete, and we have never sent a direct descendant there," Li Xuanxuan answered.

Li Tongya sighed softly, saying quietly, "Our family's strength has grown significantly, but our territory has not kept pace. The Yu Family is powerful, with too large a sphere of influence, leaving our family restrained. Yuanjiao and Qinghong are about to start Qi Cultivation and if we don't suppress the Yu Family and weaken them, the days ahead will be even more difficult."

Li Xuanxuan nodded in agreement. A few years ago, they had made Eastern Mount Yue a vassal, but the Li Family had not yet fully assimilated Eastern Mount Yue. To truly digest it, they needed to establish a mountain sect and station Qi Cultivators there.

With the Yu Family watching covetously, the Li Family had already suffered losses, not even daring to send a direct descendant to guard Mount Huaqian... How could they dare to openly establish a mountain sect now?

After careful consideration, Li Xuanxuan answered, "Eastern Mount Yue can support the upkeep and stationing of three to five cultivators, and Mount Huaqian can still support two more. If it were not for the suppression by the Yu Family, our cultivators could even double and still be supported."

Li Tongya nodded and waved his hand, saying, "I know. I will visit the Xiao Family to seek an audience with the Daoist Master and inquire about this matter."

Li Xuanxuan responded respectfully, then suddenly remembered something and smiled, saying, "Second Uncle, my several concubine-born sons have now established their own families, and together have three sons and four daughters. They are the first batch of the Xi and Yue generation, but they are all under seven years old, so their spiritual orifices are not yet discernible."

"Oh?" Li Tongya nodded gently and instructed, "If these children lack spiritual orifices, they will be the first generation to be demoted from a major sect to a minor sect since our family's rules were established... We must handle this properly to avoid any resentment."

According to the rules set by Li Tongya years ago, even if Li Xuanxuan's concubine-born children lacked spiritual orifices, they would still be considered part of the major sect, classified as legitimate concubine-born offspring. However, should these offspring's children also lack spiritual orifices, they would then be demoted to a minor sect.

The difference between the two statuses was vast, both in terms of treatment and the rules of the sect, not to mention the detailed yet significant rule that children of the minor sect could not be part of the generational ranks of the major sect.

"Understood!" Li Xuanxuan responded.

Li Tongya then continued warmly, "Once these children are over seven years old and their spiritual orifices have been identified, they must be sent up the mountain together. They must not be secretly raised at the foot of the mountain! Naturally, you will manage the finer details of this yourself."

"Yes!" Li Xuanxuan replied obediently as he cupped his fist and left.

After dismissing Li Xuanxuan, Li Tongya chose not to compete with the younger generation for spiritual qi for cultivation and instead, took out a jade slip and began to read it intently.