Chapter 188: Chapter 188: A Sense of Loneliness

Li Ping did not attend the Bai family ancestor’s funeral.

In fact, due to the issue with Bai Lin’s Foundation Establishment Pill, he had already had a falling out with the Bai family. His absence from the ancestor’s funeral was a public statement: he no longer had any connection to the Bai family and would not provide them with any further backing.

However, Li Ping personally attended Old Man Lin’s funeral, solemnly bidding farewell to the old man with whom he had a friendly acquaintance.

At the funeral, Li Ping saw Zhang Tie’s son, who had been renamed ’Lin Zhi’en’. The five-year-old boy clutched the corner of Zhang Tie’s robe, a bewildered look on his face.

Li Ping smiled and patted the boy’s head, saying nothing more.

As the son-in-law of the Meng family and the one in charge of logistics, Zhang Tie now held an extraordinary position in the Immortal City, one of considerable power and influence.

Old Man Lin’s funeral was a grand affair; even many Foundation Establishment Cultivators were in attendance.

Li Ping even saw Meng Qingyi, the current Sect Leader of the Immortal City.

"Fellow Daoist Li, it’s been a long time," Meng Qingyi said with a smile as she greeted Li Ping.

Li Ping smiled and nodded in return. "Fairy Meng."

Back when he had just broken through to Foundation Establishment, Meng Qingyi had been a Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator and a Tier Two Middle Grade Talisman Maker.

Before Meng Qingyi, the City Lord’s prized disciple, he had been just a novice.

But now, thirty-four years had passed. He had broken through to the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment, and while Meng Qingyi’s Magical Power was more profound than his, she was still a Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

Their Cultivation was now, more or less, on the same level.

Furthermore, Meng Qingyi’s skill in making talismans remained at Tier Two Middle Grade, while his had already surpassed hers, reaching Tier Two Upper Grade.

Without even realizing it, relying on his own peerless talent, Li Ping had surpassed his one-time teacher.

Now, the tables had turned to the point where he could be the one to guide Meng Qingyi in the art of making talismans.

Of course, he had no intention of revealing the true extent of his talisman-making skills publicly.

At this rate, it wouldn’t be long before his Cultivation also surpassed Meng Qingyi’s.

...

Meng Qingyi approached Li Ping, waving a hand to raise a Shield of Magical Power that blocked out the surrounding noise.

"Fellow Daoist Li, my ancestor told me your talisman-making skill has already broken through to Tier Two Middle Grade." As she spoke, a hint of shock flickered in Meng Qingyi’s eyes.

She never imagined that Li Ping—who had been merely a Tier One Upper Grade Talisman Maker who needed to ask her for guidance all those years ago—would, in just over thirty years, become a Tier Two Middle Grade Talisman Maker just like her. It had taken her one hundred and twenty or thirty years of research to achieve her current mastery.

’Of course, even if we’re both Tier Two Middle Grade Talisman Makers, my success rate in crafting Tier Two Middle Grade Talismans is surely far higher than Li Ping’s,’ she thought.

’Li Ping might surpass me in the future, but for now, at least, I’m still ahead.’

Li Ping smiled and cupped his hands. "It is true. My rapid progress in the art of making talismans is all thanks to the Fairy’s guidance back then."

As he spoke, he silently added a thought in his heart, ’And I should also thank Meng Qingyi for that used Talisman Brush she gave me.’

"You’re too modest, Fellow Daoist Li. Back then, Qingyi merely offered a few simple observations. Your ability to improve so quickly shows that you truly have a gift for making talismans," Meng Qingyi said with a slight smile before continuing.

Li Ping gave a calm smile. "You flatter me."

’What Meng Qingyi doesn’t know,’ he thought, ’is that while my talent for making talismans is high, my talent for Alchemy and puppetry is even greater.’

"By the way, Fellow Daoist Li, due to the war, many of the Immortal City’s Cultivators have gone to the Yan Kingdom to aid in the fighting. We’re quite short-staffed at the moment. Would you be interested in joining the Immortal City as an Honored Guest Elder?" Meng Qingyi asked, inviting Li Ping with a grin. "If you are willing to join, Qingyi can make the decision to give you a copy of the Tier Three Talisman Maker’s legacy from our Secret Skill Pavilion."

Li Ping was taken aback by Meng Qingyi’s invitation; he hadn’t expected her to approach him about this.

’Join the Immortal City?’

After a moment, he shook his head slightly.

He was a Tier Three Alchemist, a Tier Three Puppet Master, and a Tier Two Upper Grade Talisman Maker, not to mention his personal strength had reached the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment. He could live comfortably no matter where he went.

Joining the Immortal City would only tie his hands.

For instance, if the war were to spread to the Western Wilderness or the Western Realm, as a Loose Cultivator, he could simply retreat to the secret grotto-abode Yan Liming discovered and lie low.

But if he joined the Immortal City, he would have obligations and couldn’t just flee whenever trouble arose.

Besides, Meng Qingyi’s offer was too meager. A mere Tier Three Talisman Maker’s legacy was nothing he would lose sleep over.

With this in mind, he smiled and shook his head. "I’m afraid I must disappoint you, Fairy. I have a free-spirited nature and don’t wish to be tied down by worldly affairs. I won’t be considering joining the Immortal City."

Hearing Li Ping’s outright refusal, Meng Qingyi’s brow furrowed. She spoke again, "Fellow Daoist Li, to be perfectly honest, Qingyi has already gathered the medicinal ingredients for a furnace of Vital Essence Pills, and I plan to refine them soon. If you are willing to join the Immortal City, a share of the finished Vital Essence Pills will be yours."

The Vital Essence Pill was a Tier Two Upper Grade Pill. For a Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator, it could help them break through the bottleneck to the Late-stage Foundation Establishment.

One could say its value was on par with the Foundation Establishment Pill, making it one of the most coveted Pills for Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

Even for someone as prominent as Meng Qingyi, the City Lord, it had taken a long and arduous search to gather enough Spirit Medicine for one furnace batch.

She wasn’t far from reaching the peak of the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment herself, and she planned to use the power of the Vital Essence Pill to attempt a breakthrough to the Late-stage Foundation Establishment.

’As a fellow Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator, there’s no way Li Ping won’t be tempted by a Vital Essence Pill,’ she thought.

And yet—

"A Vital Essence Pill?" Li Ping was speechless.

A Pill that was incredibly precious to other Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators was, in fact, completely useless to him and his Nourishing Life Skill.

He shook his head. "There’s no need to say more, Fairy. I have no intention of joining the Immortal City."

"In that case, Qingyi has been presumptuous." Seeing that even the offer of a Vital Essence Pill couldn’t tempt Li Ping, a flash of disappointment crossed Meng Qingyi’s eyes.

The Vital Essence Pill was the most sincere offer she could make. If even that couldn’t sway Li Ping, what else was there to do?

’I can’t just resort to a honey trap and offer myself to him to lock him down, can I?’

’This Fellow Daoist Li before me may be somewhat accomplished, but he’s not worthy of such a sacrifice.’

Afterward, Meng Qingyi made small talk with Li Ping for a little while longer before hurrying away.

As the de facto lord of the Immortal City, her daily affairs were numerous and demanding.

Li Ping stayed for a little while, exchanging a few words with other mourners like Gumu Sheng and Cheng Yao, before also taking his leave at an unhurried pace.

...

Not long after returning to Immortal Peach Mountain, just as the year was drawing to a close, he received a letter from Yan Hengchuan, sent from the Jiang Kingdom. Li Ping then learned that after they had parted ways in the Yan Kingdom, the young man had gone straight back to his hometown in the Jiang Kingdom and had never returned to the Immortal City.

In the letter, Yan Hengchuan explained the current situation in the Jiang Kingdom.

The Jiang Kingdom was ruled by the Jiang family, a Cultivation Clan. Much like the five nations of the Western Realm, the Jiang Kingdom had formed an alliance with seven other cultivation nations from the Central-South Realm, including the Yun Kingdom. Together, they were known as the Eight-Nation Alliance.

The Eight-Nation Alliance was headed by the Crimson Flame Sect of the Yun Kingdom and was considered a formidable power within the Daoist Guardian Alliance.

Upon receiving orders from the Daoist Guardian Alliance, the Crimson Flame Sect had hastily mobilized Sect and clan Cultivators from across the eight nations. Led by the Late-stage Core Formation Cultivator, Chi Xiaozi, they were heading north to reinforce the Liang Kingdom.

Yan Hengchuan wrote that Ji Shuwen, as a Cultivator of the Crimson Flame Sect, had also joined the grand army of the Eight-Nation Alliance on their way to the Liang Kingdom to join the war.

Li Ping paused when he read this.

’Ji Shu Xuan was already conscripted by the Immortal City and sent to the Yan Kingdom, and now Ji Shuwen is off to the Liang Kingdom. The Ji family is deeply involved in this war.’

Shaking his head, he continued reading.

Yan Hengchuan went on to say that he had fallen in love at first sight with Yu Peiling, a newly-ascended Foundation Establishment Cultivator from the Yu family of Bifeng Lake, and they planned to become Dao Companions.

He hoped that if his Martial Grand-Ancestor had the time, he could return to the Jiang Kingdom to attend their wedding banquet.

"Yu Peiling?" A thoughtful look appeared in Li Ping’s eyes.

He remembered returning to the Jiang Kingdom once, not long after Zhang Tie had achieved Foundation Establishment.

Back then, he had gone to Bifeng Lake to visit the Yu family regarding the matter of the Little Plum Mountain Spiritual Land.

During a friendly spar, he had wielded two Upper Grade Dharma Artifacts to easily defeat the Yu family’s ancestor, convincing the man so thoroughly that he willingly sold the Little Plum Mountain Spiritual Land to Li Ping.

The person who had served him tea at the time had been a young junior of the Yu family named ’Yu Peiling’.

This Yu Peiling’s mother, Yu Xuewei, had been a friend of Li Ping’s in his youth. The two had shared a mutual affection, but for various reasons, they had never ended up together.

’So that little girl reached Foundation Establishment, too? And she ended up with Hengchuan.’ A nostalgic look flashed in Li Ping’s eyes.

He truly felt that he had grown old.

In fact, at nearly seventy-four years of age, if Li Ping hadn’t embarked on the Immortal Dao, he would likely be gray-haired and decrepit by now.

However, as a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, he could still live for another one hundred and sixty or seventy years. He still had a long life ahead of him.

He checked the date of the wedding banquet. It was set for the end of next year, almost a full year away. Li Ping planned to make a trip back to the Jiang Kingdom then to attend the wedding and, while he was at it, visit his Third Senior Brother.

His Third Senior Brother was over eighty years old now. Although Li Ping had secretly used his Nourishing Life Skill Power to nurture the man’s Origin, he was still a mortal. At such an age, his natural end was not far off.

This might be the last time Li Ping would see him.

At the end of the letter, Yan Hengchuan mentioned that his parents and grandfather were all getting old. He planned to stay in the Jiang Kingdom to be with them for the remainder of their lives and did not intend to return to the Immortal City. He hoped his Martial Grand-Ancestor would understand.

Setting the letter down, Li Ping let out a soft sigh.

Yan Hengchuan’s situation was more unique than that of Zhang Tie or Gumu Sheng.

He possessed a five-element Spiritual Root, which meant he originally had no hope of ever reaching Foundation Establishment.

Fortunately, thanks to a timely assist from Yan Liming, he had managed to succeed in his Foundation Establishment.

Having managed to reach Foundation Establishment with a five-element Spiritual Root, he was clearly content. He no longer held any extravagant hopes of reaching higher realms.

After all, even though his own aptitude had improved after using the ’Foundation Plundering Technique’ to seize Yan Liming’s Dao Foundation, reaching even the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment would be harder than ascending to the heavens, let alone Core Formation.

There is a certain wisdom in knowing when to give up on an impossible task.

To spend his remaining two hundred years managing his family, raising descendants, and living each day to the fullest—that would also be a life well-lived.

Zhang Tie, Gumu Sheng, Cheng Yao, Bai Qing, and Yan Hengchuan—all those close to him had abandoned the path of cultivation after reaching Foundation Establishment.

In that moment, Li Ping felt the loneliness of one who climbs the peak alone.

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