Feng Yu glanced at Zhang Lian and said, "Li Fend will be coming soon. You should wait here." His eyes then swept over her, noticing how dirty she was. With a small frown, he raised his hand and muttered, "Purification spell."
A soft, glowing breeze began to circle around his hand, composed of pale blue and white strands of spiritual energy. He waved his hand in a smooth arc towards Zhang Lian, and the breeze enveloped her, circling around her body.
The dirt and dust clinging to her seemed to vanish into the air. Her clothes regained their original cleanliness, and her hair, previously tangled, was now smooth and neatly arranged.
Zhang Lian watched in amazement as the spell worked its magic, transforming her appearance in an instant.
The experience filled her with a desire to become a cultivator herself. The power to perform such miraculous things with just muttering some word,
Zhang Lian, couldn't help but think about how much she disliked the clothing in this world. The garments were beautiful, but they got messy so easily and were such a hassle to wear.
However, after experiencing the cleansing spell, she realized that if she could master such a technique, she might not need to change clothes as often. The thought was surprisingly comforting, making her even more eager to pursue cultivation.
Just as she was lost in thought, her cat came closer, who previously had been curiously observing everything from a short distance, seized the moment. It spoke the same nonsense again, "Host, if you want to become a cultivator and perform spells like this, you need to have babies!"
In a moment of irritation, Zhang Lian couldn't resist and punched the cat. The cat yelped in surprise, darting away with an innocent look, as if to say, "What did I do?"
However, just as she was about to give the cat another punch look, she noticed Feng Yu glancing at her curiously. Realizing that her actions might seem strange to him, she quickly composed herself, her expression returning to a calm.
The last thing she wanted was to draw unnecessary attention to her behavior, especially when there were more important things at hand.
Feng Yu took a closer look at Zhang Lian, now fully seeing her beauty before. Though he had encountered many beautiful women before, especially among cultivators, he found her appearance striking for someone from a mortal background.
He couldn't help but ask, "Do you have any talent for cultivation? Usually, the more beautiful one is, the greater the chances for cultivation potential."
Zhang Lian shook her head, keeping her expression neutral, though inside, she was filled with anger.
She knew she had a cultivation talent, but the system absorbed it. She cursed the cat who was flying around, curiously observing everything.
The cat suddenly felt a shiver run down its spine for some unknown reason but soon ignored, continuing its exploration of the surroundings as if nothing had happened.
Feng Yu casually remarked, "Well, it would be good, if you had some cultivation talent. With your looks, you might even rank in the top 100 beauties in the sect."
Zhang Lian couldn't help but feel a bit deflated. Top 100? She was certain she was far more beautiful than that! If she was only in the top 100, just how stunning was the number one beauty? But she didn't dare to question the cultivator about this.
Just as she was lost in these thoughts, her cat suddenly appeared out of nowhere, floating right beside her face. It had a cute expression, its little paws crossed as it hovered in the air.
"Don't worry, host," the cat spoke in, its voice filled with seriousness. "Once you start having babies, you'll be even more beautiful. Trust me!"
Zhang Lian clenched her fists, resisting the urge to hit the cat out of the air again. Instead, she took a deep breath and tried to ignore the ridiculous creature, though its words in her mind.
The cat, meanwhile, continued to float around her, humming a little tune to itself, clearly pleased with itself.
Li Fend was deep in meditation, in a random person's house, when his communication talisman began to glow faintly.
He reached out to pick it up. The talisman was a small, rectangular object, inscribed with unique patterns that responded to his touch, displaying the message left for him.
As he activated the talisman, Feng Yu's voice came from the talisman: "Senior Brother Li, someone from your family still seems to be alive. I am Feng Yu, near the entrance gate."
Li Fend's eyes widened in surprise, the calm expression on his face giving way to one of mixed emotions.
He had only recently received news from his younger brother, who also had some cultivation talent, with a level 3 spiritual root in the same sect. Unlike Li Fend, who had been guided by a respected elder and focused on his cultivation, his brother often engaged in gossip and took missions.
He receives news that : their entire family, along with every person in the city itself, had been killed by a Demonic Cultivator. His father, mother, and countless others had all perished.
The weight of this loss had struck Li Fend deeply, shaking his Dao heart—a cultivator's Dao heart, which represents the inner peace, and connection to their path of cultivation.
When the Dao heart is disturbed, it can lead to doubts, instability in cultivation, and even potential setbacks or deviation from the righteous path.
Unable to concentrate, Li Fend had requested leave from his master to deal with his grief, fearing that if left unresolved, the pain would be greater, hindering his future progress.
But now, hearing that someone from his family might still be alive, a wave of relief washed over him. His Dao heart, which had been trembling with sorrow and anger, began to settle.
Li Fend closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to center himself. "At least someone survived," he whispered, feeling a renewed sense of purpose.
He knew he had to go to the entrance gate to see who it was. The survival of even one family member would be enough to soothe his troubled heart.
With a new goal, Li Fend rose from his meditation, preparing to meet whoever had managed to escape the terrible fate that had befallen their family.
----
Li Fend, after calming his emotions, decided to make his way to the area where Feng Yu was waiting.
Though still in the Qi Refining stage, He can at least fly using a sword. He stepped outside, summoning his sword with a swift motion. The blade is sharp and polished, hovered before him, its surface glowing in the light.
He stepped onto the sword, channeling his spiritual energy into it. As the energy flowed from his body into the blade, it began to hum with power.
With a slight shift of his weight, the sword lifted off the ground, carrying Li Fend into the sky.
Though he had yet to reach the Foundation Building stage, where cultivators gain the ability to fly using their own bodies,
Li Fend's mastery of the sword allowed him to travel swiftly through the air. In the Foundation Building stage, a cultivator's spiritual energy undergoes a transformation—spiritual gas within their dantian is condensed into spiritual liquid.
This spiritual liquid is denser, providing a greater reserve of energy to sustain flying and other powerful techniques.
Foundation Building cultivators can thus fly freely, relying on their own spiritual reserves without the need for external tools.
For now, Li Fend relied on his sword, but he moved with practiced ease, cutting through the air, as he headed toward the entrance gate where Feng Yu was waiting.
---
Li Fend quickly arrived at the entrance, his sword slicing through the air with fast speed.
As he approached, he saw Feng Yu speaking with a young girl who had striking white hair. He instantly recognised her—she was Zhang Lian, his step-sister's daughter.
He had met her a few times when she was little. Back then, she had been an adorable cute little child, and even their father had taken a special liking to her, often commenting that she has potential to be a cultivator.
As he observed her, memories of his father flooded back. His father's health had been deteriorating over the past few years, but despite his age and many children, he had never treated any of them poorly.
Li Fend's mother was a mortal woman with no important background, and had always been grateful to his father for marrying her.
His father had taken her in, cared for her, and given her a place in the family. The same could be said for his other wives, all of whom had little to no background before they married into the family.
Through their father's support, they had all found peace and stability, creating a peaceful household.
But that peace had been shattered by the Demonic Cultivator, and now the family that his father had worked so hard to build was in ruins.
Anger flared within Li Fend as he thought of all that had been lost—the life they had, all destroyed in an instant. but he quickly calmed down. There was no use in losing control now.
He took a deep breath, allowing the anger to subside, before descending to the ground.
His feet touched the earth silently as he stepped down from the sword, his gaze now focused on Zhang Lian.
As Li Fend approached, both Zhang Lian and Feng Yu turned their attention to him. Li Fend was a striking figure.
He had a tall, lean build, with sharp, angular features that gave him a cool look.
His long black hair was tied back. His eyes were black, though the shadow of grief was still within them.
His robe, though similar in design to Feng Yu's, but different in status. As an inner disciple, his robe was embroidered with patterns of gold and silver thread and it is much more durable made for foundation building disciple.
The material itself was of higher quality, with spiritual energy. In contrast, Feng Yu, an outer disciple, wore a simpler robe, lacking the designs.
Zhang Lian's heart raced as she watched her uncle approach. She could only hope that he would remember her, though they had only met a few times when she was a child.
Her mind raced, thinking about past memories, wondering if she had ever done anything that might have displeased him.
But as she thought about it, she felt reassured—she had always been well-behaved, a good child in front of everyone. There was no reason for him to hold any ill intention towards her.
Li Fend landed gracefully before them, his gaze immediately locking onto Zhang Lian. He took in her appearance, noting how she had grown into a beautiful young woman.
"Did anyone from the Li family survive?" he asked, his voice calm but with tension. "Is your father and mother safe?"
Zhang Lian's expression turned sad, and she shook her head. "I don't think so, Uncle. We were attacked by a Demonic Cultivator. He spread some strange powder on us, and when I woke up, I was in a village called Willow Creek Village. The villagers told me they found me near the forest, close to the city."
Li Fend's heart sank at her words.
He closed his eyes for a moment. "I see," he said quietly, his voice filled with sadness. He calmed down, and thought about it,at least Zhang Lian had survived. That small comfort would have to be enough for now..
Li Fend observed Zhang Lian closely, wondering how she had managed to survive. The thought came to his mind, but seeing the sadness in her eyes as she spoke about her parents, he decided not to press the matter further.
Instead, he focused on something more practical. "Have you tested your spiritual roots yet? Do you have any talent for cultivation? If not, we can test them now."
Zhang Lian shook her head, her voice was calm despite the sorrow she felt. "I don't have any talent for cultivation, Uncle. I was tested yesterday, just before the Demonic Cultivator attacked."
Li Fend nodded, accepting her answer without further questioning. "I see," he said. "Then there's no need to dwell on it. You must be tired and hungry. Come with me, niece."
With that, he unsheathed his sword once more, the blade hovering in the air beside him. He stepped onto it effortlessly and then extended a hand to Zhang Lian. "Hold on tightly," he instructed. "Climb on the sword with me."
Zhang Lian hesitated for a moment, but then she reached out and grasped his arm. With his help, she carefully climbed onto the sword, her grip tightening around him as she steadied herself.
The sword hummed beneath their feet, resonating with the spiritual energy that Li Fend channeled into it.
"Don't worry," he reassured her. "I'll make sure you're safe."
Li Fend then directed the sword into the air. It lifted smoothly off the ground, carrying them both upward. Zhang Lian felt the wind rush past her, and she held on tightly as they moved through the sky.