Chapter 11: The Celestial Flame

The powerful divine sense of the false alchemist elder from the neighboring Biyun Sect nearly enveloped the entire vicinity. Li Jian guarded his mind sea closely, refraining from recklessly sending out his own divine sense to investigate.

Gazing at Granny You before him, Li Jian furrowed his brow slightly.

The twelve-year-old Xiao Qiao remained timid in front of others, but after six years of acquaintance, she had almost lost all caution toward this handsome uncle, Li Jian.

Only when facing Li Jian did she dare to stand beside Granny You.

“Fellow Daoist You, this matter seems somewhat inconsiderate. I am used to living alone and fear I may not be able to care for others properly,” Li Jian said after a brief silence, offering a wry smile as he politely declined.

Granny You, apart from coming to bid farewell, spoke softly and warmly, her smile unwavering as she mentioned her fortune in being selected by a Biyun Sect elder and hired into the sect to participate in a set of array formations.

She also wished for Li Jian’s help in taking care of Xiao Qiao.

After Li Jian’s gentle refusal, Granny You showed no sign of disappointment; instead, a trace of relief appeared in her eyes.

“Master Li, please forgive me. This truly is my helpless decision. You know Xiao Qiao’s nature—she has been timid since childhood and finds it impossible to get along with others. Over the years here in the Immortal City, she has only become close to you. I truly have no one else to entrust her to,” Granny You said as she handed him a storage pouch.

Her demeanor was calm and serene as she added, “These spirit stones are my reward. When I return, there will be a generous recompense.”

“It’s not about the reward. The main issue is that Xiao Qiao is no longer a child. Besides, my daily practice and pill refining leave me little time to care for her thoroughly. Fellow Daoist You should seek someone more suitable,” Li Jian said, not reaching out to take the pouch.

Granny You’s smile deepened by a third. She stepped forward and pressed the pouch into Li Jian’s hand. “Master Li, I have been here for many years and have met many people, but none as congenial as you. If it’s inconvenient, Xiao Qiao can still live next door. She can manage her daily meals on her own and will not trouble you much. Just keep an occasional watch so she knows someone is nearby, preventing her from falling prey to ill intentions.”

“Uncle Li,” Xiao Qiao looked up just in time and called out clearly.

Li Jian bowed his head slightly and smiled at her.

According to Granny You’s initial words, Xiao Qiao was indeed a pitiable child.

Fortunately, she had been taken in by Granny You.

Otherwise, her fate would be uncertain.

In the cultivation world, harm to children was far more common and severe than during the once-glorious Xian Ci Dynasty. The latter practiced cruel methods such as harvesting life essence for wealth, while evildoers in the cultivation world refined wicked pills, raised demonic beasts, or some deranged ones even devoured children to strengthen themselves. It could only be said that areas near the Immortal City or marketplaces were relatively safer, with cultivators patrolling and providing protection.

Her situation reminded Li Jian of his own past.

Granny You’s actions reminded him of his former master.

Now that the matter had reached this point, it would not affect him much—at most, he would have Gua Gua hide in the neighboring courtyard.

Moreover, after years of acquaintance with Granny You, they had formed a true bond. Her extensive experience in cultivation had broadened Li Jian’s horizons, and she never refused his occasional inquiries about the basics of formation arrays.

Li Jian cupped his hands toward Granny You and nodded. “Very well, I will do my utmost. I hope Fellow Daoist You returns soon.”

“Thank you, Master Li,” Granny You smiled, bowing her head.

Watching as Granny You was led away by the Biyun Sect elder, Li Jian sighed quietly.

Perhaps the main purpose of the Biyun Sect’s evaluations over these years was precisely this.

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“I still understand too little about the cultivation world. In the future, I must prepare in advance for such matters.”

This incident was not much of a problem for him, a mere first-rank pill master. Not to mention, there were many pill masters stronger than him within the Biyun Sect. The main point was that pill masters refined pills; if others needed something, he just spent some time making it for them.

But formation masters as rare as Granny You were scarce even within the Biyun Sect, and when called upon, they had to personally participate in setting up or dismantling formations.

According to Li Jian’s earlier deductions, the Biyun Sect might be taking external actions. If so, Granny You would likely be sent to the front lines.

The risk was considerable.

However, if things went well, he might establish some goodwill with the sect.

“Xiao Qiao, Uncle Li is here. Don’t be afraid. Just like before, if anything happens, Uncle Li can be there in a blink. Wait calmly for Granny to return,” Li Jian comforted her as he gently patted the top of her head resting against his chest.

Xiao Qiao blinked her large eyes and nodded.

“Let’s go. I’ll take you back.”

“I want to play here a little longer,” Xiao Qiao said, squatting down and staring at the soil in a daze.

Li Jian did not disturb her and turned back inside.

Although he trusted Fellow Daoist You to some extent, he could not be careless. He took out the storage pouch she had given him and carefully inspected it with his divine sense.

The pouch was a low-grade storage bag with limited space; its contents were clear at a glance.

A quick scan revealed a small pile of spirit stones, about a hundred in number.

This made Li Jian pause slightly.

“How long does Fellow Daoist You plan to be gone to give so many?”

“Eh~” As he examined each spirit stone for any markings, something at the bottom of the pile caught his eye. It looked like a spirit stone but was subtly different.

He emptied everything onto the ground.

Except for that one item resembling a spirit stone but clearly unusual upon closer inspection, all the other spirit stones were normal.

Noticing the wear marks on its surface, Li Jian’s heart stirred, and he probed it with his divine sense.

“This…” In an instant, Li Jian’s eyelids twitched.

That item disguised as a spirit stone was actually a high-quality branded jade talisman.

The first line of characters inside startled Li Jian: “You Clan Formation Manual!”

“Fellow Daoist You has entrusted me with her formation legacy?”

Back then, being rated the foremost first-rank formation master in the Immortal City meant her formation inheritance was undoubtedly extraordinary.

Formation techniques, being difficult to learn, master, and enter, were inherently precious. Unlike some mediocre pill or talisman legacies which could be found in the market, even mediocre formation legacies were rarely available, let alone one like Granny You’s.

---

What shocked him was not the inheritance itself, but the implication of Granny You’s gesture.

If she were only going to care for Xiao Qiao briefly, even a hundred spirit stones would be more than sufficient.

Now, it seemed she was entrusting her charge as if preparing for the worst.

Could it be… she sensed she might not return safely?

In that instant, Li Jian’s heart was filled with complex emotions.

Receiving Fellow Daoist You’s formation inheritance was truly a monumental blessing.

However… over these six years, he had diligently cultivated without pause, now reaching the ninth level of Qi Refining. His talisman skills had also improved, and his plans for Foundation Establishment were steadily advancing.

At most, it would take another three years to stabilize his cultivation to a near-perfect state, at which point he could hope to break into Foundation Establishment.

Moreover, six years ago, at the Taiping Inn, he had overheard rumors about the possible discovery of heavenly spiritual flames near the forsaken Fire Mountain to the east. After repeated inquiries, he learned that although pill and artifact refiners primarily relied on pill fire, it was not the optimal choice.

Pill fire was condensed through fire-type magical power and was essentially a worldly spiritual mechanism. However, it was artificially condensed and not the true elemental fire essence of heaven and earth. Thus, when refining pills or artifacts, it was difficult to truly connect with the spiritual mechanisms of heaven and earth. Consequently, top-tier pills or artifacts were rarely made with man-made pill fire.

The genuine heavenly flames were the best fire for refining pills and artifacts.

Legend had it that ancient pill and artifact masters mostly used heavenly flames for their work.

This news excited Li Jian immensely. If he could obtain a fragment of heavenly spiritual flame, with his current divine sense comparable to mid-Foundation Establishment, he could refine Foundation Establishment pills himself!

Hence, he intended to venture to the edge of the forsaken Fire Mountain to the east and try his luck, as someone claimed to have seen traces of spiritual flames there.

The area was spiritually barren, with only a few first-rank spiritual veins, enough to support a handful of Qi Refining families. The journey was mostly through spirit-poor lands, and encountering Foundation Establishment cultivators was nearly impossible.

As he was lost in thought,

“Uncle Li, can I play with the big toad down there?”

“Hm?” Li Jian instinctively looked up, seeing Xiao Qiao still squatting and staring blankly at the soil.

“Yes!” The next moment, a sudden flash of insight exploded in Li Jian’s mind. He fixed his gaze on Xiao Qiao, his face filled with shock.

When the false alchemist elder from the Biyun Sect arrived, he worried that Gua Gua might be detected due to the anomaly in its soul-shielding ability. After all, he couldn’t guarantee whether the false alchemist’s divine sense could see through Gua Gua’s innate soul-shielding talent developed from years of absorbing parasitic soul ants.

So he urgently had Gua Gua burrow as deep underground as possible.

At this moment, through the spiritual pet contract, he clearly knew that Gua Gua was motionless almost thirty zhang beneath the ground.