A month later, Li Yuan sat behind a silk screen in a private chamber high above the auction floor.

  A plain and unadorned bronze mask hid his face. The robes he wore were not those of an Outer Sect disciple, but the plain robe of a rogue cultivator—well-kept and slightly expensive, but otherwise impossible to place.

  Even his posture had changed. Becoming less rigid and more casual.

  Veil of Borrowed Heaven was active, suppressing his Qi and blending him with the world so that even those at Foundation Establishment won't be able to judge his cultivation level.

  Basically, identifying him has become very, very difficult. Which, in this place, was the bare minimum required to stay alive.

  The auction house below buzzed with excitement. Voices rose and fell as new items were brought forth and auctioned off—spirit herbs, beast cores, weapons, etc. Li Yuan watched without much interest.

  A lot of the items sold here belonged to him after all. Items that he'd gathered over the past month by stealing various low-tier opportunities. Most of those items had been of no use to him and were thus handed over to the auction for sale.

  The only reason he even did so was because this auction has a very good reputation. A reputation of basically not fucking over its own client. You would think that that kind of reputation would be the lowest requirement for running an auction house. But that's the Xianxia world experience for you. Where trust and reputation were priced at a premium.

  Still, reputations shifted easily.

  If they discovered he was only at the Fifth Stage of Qi Condensation, attitudes might change. So he kept his Qi suppressed, masking his true cultivation until no one could gauge his level.

  The auction continued, and while the others placed their bids, he leaned back and read.

  A thick manual on Gu rested open in his hands. He had already studied it three times, memorizing each diagram and every warning scribbled in the margins by cultivators who had learned their lessons the hard way.

  By now, he has learned how to awaken the Lifespan Gu from its petrified state. He also knew how to use it. Which was exactly why he had not awakened it.

  A Gu needed a home. A place to reside—where its power could settle and be drawn upon.

  Within a cultivator, that place was the dantian.

  And no matter how many advantages he possessed, no matter how quickly he advanced, a dantian did not form before Foundation Establishment.

  So however impatient he felt to use the Lifespan Gu and claim an extra hundred years of life—there was nothing he could do yet.

  Hence, the Lifespan Gu remained petrified, sealed away in his spatial ring for later use.

  Time passed until the auction reached its final item.

  When it sold, polite applause echoed through the hall. The auctioneer bowed, and the cultivators began filing out in small groups.

  Li Yuan remained seated.

  A few minutes later, footsteps stopped outside his VIP room.

  The door slid open.

  The auction house manager entered with a practiced smile, hands clasped before him respectfully. "Fellow Daoist," he greeted warmly.

  Li Yuan gave a slight nod.

  The manager placed a pouch on the table and loosened the drawstring just enough to reveal its contents.

  "Two hundred mid-grade spirit stones," he said smoothly. "Equivalent to twenty thousand low-grade spirit stones. Your items sold for slightly over twenty-five thousand low-grade in total. This is what remains after our standard twenty percent fee."

  Li Yuan weighed the pouch in his hand, then nodded.

  "Did you get what I asked for?" he asked.

  The manager's smile deepened.

  "Yes." He said before clapping his hands.

  At his gesture, a maid stepped forward silently, carrying a silver platter. Upon it rested a bead no larger than a fingernail—translucent in colour, and faintly etched with formation lines that shifted when viewed from different angles.

  "A Formation-Breaking Bead," the manager explained. "It's a single use item, so please remember that when using it. This item is capable of forcibly breaking a first-stage formation and is priced at five thousand spirit stones."

  Li Yuan nodded and took out fifty mid-tier stones from the pouch before placing them on the table.

  The exchange was completed without ceremony. And moments later, he was gone from the auction house.

  Once he was outside, he used the Veil of Borrowed Heaven to its fullest and took multiple detours in the city before he finally headed off toward the Sect mountain.

  He din't relax until he'd entered his house and closed the door shut behind him.

  Then, he brought out the Stele in front of himself and glanced at his status panel.

  NAME: Li Yuan

  AGE: 14

  CULTIVATION: 5th Stage Qi Condensation

  SKILLS

  Nine Peak Breathing Art – 0 / 200 (Major Accomplishment)

  Mountain-Splitting Stillness Sword – 1 / 600 (Perfection)

  Shadow-Cloud Steps – 0 / 800 (Perfection)

  Veil of Borrowed Heaven – 316 / 1200 (Major Accomplishment)

  Spirit Residue Following Technique – 1 / 500 (Major Accomplishment)

  Formation Breaking Skill — 1 / 800 (Perfection)

  CURRENT POINTS: 0

  A month's worth of growth. Both his Mountain-Splitting Stillness Sword Technique and his Shadow-Cloud Step had stepped into the realm of Perfection.

  Aside from those two, all other techniques he'd learned had also reached Major Accomplishment. Even the Nine Peak Breathing Art that he hadn't truly cared for, had reached Major Accomplishment.

  But aside from these skills, he had learned another skill in the past month and then taken it to the Perfection Realm.

  Namely, the Formation Breaking Skill.

  All this… because Shu Dong had finally arrived at the Outer Sect a few days ago.

  And on the very day Shu Dong had arrived, Li Yuan located his courtyard and started making preparations to assassinate the bastard in the middle of the night.

  Except, as soon as he made that decision, his Halo turned pitch black.

  That sudden turn had shocked him enough to make him pause and gaze at his halo till he entered the vision.

  ——

  He saw himself slipping into Shu Dong's courtyard under the cover of night.

  Veil of Borrowed Heaven ran at full strength, suppressing his Qi and erasing his presence—no sound, no scent, no trace.

  Everything went smoothly... until he opened a window and stepped inside.

  Then, everything went wrong.

  The air around him stiffened. Invisible lines—visible only to him through Spirit Residue Following Technique—snapped into place, crisscrossing the room in an instant.

  The trap had been waiting and triggered at his arrival.

  Qi surged beneath his feet as a formation activated. The walls shimmered. The window he had entered through vanished as though it had never existed.

  The vision shifted.

  Shu Dong jolted awake as alarms echoed through the courtyard. Panic flashed across his face, then faded as it was replaced by relief as he understood exactly what had been triggered.

  Li Yuan was trapped and immobilised. Pinned in place like a butterfly pinned to a board as killing intent flooded the space.

  Shu Dong didn't hesitate and swung his sword at him. A moment later, his head fell off his shoulder and the vision finally came to an end.

  ——

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Li Yuan had opened his eyes slowly, shocked at how easily he had died. And decided to do some research on Formations that very day.

  Reading through half a dozen books on Formations gave him the name of the Formation that lead to his death.

  Stillness Burial Array.

  A Tier 1 defensive formation. A common defensive tool used by wealthy families. Rather cheap by Inner Sect standards, and quite deadly to anyone within the Qi Condensation stage.

  It was designed specifically to trap intruders long enough for the homeowner to act, or for help to arrive.

  That made the decision for him. If he wanted to assassinate Shu Dong, then he would need a way to go through the Formation.

  So, he learned the Art of Formation Breaking, and for the past week, he has been using the Stele to improve his skill level on that technique.

  It was also why he'd gone to the auction house. Part of it was because he needed to sell his excess items, but part of it was because he wanted to buy that Formation Breaking Bead, in case something went wrong and he was unable to break the formation.

  Li Yuan rolled the bead between his fingers now, feeling the faint instability trapped inside it. He exhaled and closed his fist around it.

  It was his contingency plan. And now that he had it in his hand, tonight, he could go and assassinate Shu Dong.

  Or… should he wait a little more. After all, after a month of cultivation, and consuming many valuable herbs, his cultivation was already on the verge of breaking through to 6th Stage of Qi Condensation Realm.

  And weakened as Shu Dong was, he was still at the 7th Stage of Qi Condensation Realm. That's two minor realm higher than his own. And his death in that vision had already taught him not to underestimate his enemy.

  After contemplating on the matter for a bit, he decided to wait a bit more and successfully break through to the next minor stage before making his move.

  After all, it'll still take a few months for Shu Dong to start the investigation that would conclude with him as the primary suspect.

  With that thought, he turned toward his cultivation mat— and paused as his sect token vibrated softly at his waist.

  Li Yuan frowned and activated the token. A moment later, a familiar voice came the token and made his breath catch.

  "Yuan'er." That voice… it belonged to his father. Or at least, the father of this body.

  Li Yuan straightened instinctively, shock rippling through him as he listened to the voice message.

  "I'm in Nine Peak City," his father continued, his tone carrying an edge of urgency. "I came to see you. When you have time… come find me down at the restaurant where we ate last time."

  The message ended and Li Yuan stood there in silence, the Formation-Shattering Bead forgotten in his palm.

  '…Father? Why is he here?' He wondered, not having expected this at all. After all, it's only been a few months since he joined this sect. Not even half a year. And with how far their home was from the Nine Peak Sect, his father wouldn't have made the journey unless something important has happened in the family.

  Slowly, he closed his eyes and let out a breath.

  It seems like his cultivation will have to wait till he meets up with his father and learns the reason for his arrival.

  —————

  Sect rules were sect rules. And not something that could broken by a mere outer sect disciple like him.

  In this instance, the sect rules said that no outsiders were allowed past the mountain gates, no matter whose blood they shared.

  He was sure that elders were not purview to this rule. Maybe even Core disciples. But while he might get to that level some day, for now, he was a nobody. And thus, needed to follow the rules like everyone else.

  So Li Yuan left Nine Peak Sect and descended to the city below.

  The restaurant his father waited at sat near the inner market. A modest but clean place. He spotted his father the moment he stepped inside.

  His father, Li Zheng, was already waiting. And the first thought that entered his mind upon seeing him, was that his father looked… stressed.

  His father's back was still straight, his cultivation aura still firm at Peak Qi Condensation, but the wear showed in smaller ways. In the faint hollows beneath his eyes, in the stiffness of his movements, in the way his fingers drummed once against the table in an impatience, that he didn't remember his father having before.

  Yes, the month long journey between the sect and his Family had no doubt caused some discomfort, but having made the journey himself, he could tell that the stress was not solely because of it.

  Something else had gone wrong.

  When Li Yuan approached, his father looked up and forced a smile on his face that didn't quite reach his eyes.

  "Yuan'er." His father stood and pulled him into a tight embrace. It was a firm, lingering hug. And something told him that his father had needed the hug more than he did.

  Li Yuan's unease deepened.

  They sat. And he immediately spoke his worries.

  "What happened?" Li Yuan asked quietly.

  His father didn't answer right away.

  Instead, he reached into his storage pouch and placed several wrapped bundles on the table. Snacks, preserved fruits, a few small packets of spirit herbs.

  It was all quite modest. Painfully modest.

  "Your mother prepared these," His father said then let out a deep sigh. "And… this is all we could spare."

  Li Yuan stared at the items and his confusion sharpened into something colder.

  If his father had come all this way to meet him, then clan resources should have come with him. That was just how things worked in this world. Even a struggling ninth-tier family would scrape together something for one of their most promising juniors.

  The absence of those cultivation resources spoke louder than words.

  Something has seriously gone wrong.

  His father noticed his silence and sighed again, shoulders slumping a fraction.

  "Yuan'er," he said slowly, "the clan can't support you anymore."

  Li Yuan didn't react and gestured for his father to go on. And so, his father told him.

  "About two months ago," His father said, "Someone attacked our clan. No, not the clan compound. But two of our low-grade spirit lakes. We still don't know the attackers' motives, but they completely destroyed those lakes in that attack."

  He blinked at that info. This was the first time he was hearing about something like this. Because usually, destroying a Spirit Lake was just not done.

  Even when two families were at war, they never even contemplated destroying their enemy's Spirit Lake. After all, the Spirit Lake was the main resource any family held. And one of the main reasons why any two families went to war to begin with, was to get their hands on the other family's Spirit Lake.

  Destroying a Spirit Lake did not benefit anyone, and would only served to draw the ire of every other family in the Prefecture.

  "What else?" He asked.

  After all, while the destruction of two Low-grade lakes was lamentable, their family still had a dozen more of such lakes, as well as two mid-grade lakes. So their destruction shouldn't cause so much trouble to the family that they cannot even afford to send him any resources.

  "The attack and the destruction of those Spirit lakes alarmed the elders," His father said. "So they stationed a Foundation Establishment cultivator at each of our mid-grade lakes."

  A pause.

  "The one your grandfather guarded… was attacked."

  Li Yuan's fingers curled slowly against the table.

  "Is grandfather alright?" He asked in worry.

  "The enemy had come prepared. They had a 2nd Tier Formation Breaking Bead. Suppression talismans. And a Tier 2 Artefact. They weren't casual rogue cultivators. And they knew what they were doing." His paused and his voice tightened. "Your grandfather survived. But barely. And the Mid-grade Spirit lake was also destroyed in the attack."

  Li Yuan's chest tightened at those words. "That's bad." He said.

  "Worse. Because of the way the Mid-grade Spirit lake fed the surrounding arrays, several low-grade lakes collapsed along with it." His father said. "We're now down to just half of our Spirit lakes."

  Half. Half the clan's financial backbone—gone.

  A Mid-grade Spirit Lake could produce thousands of Spirit Stones in a year. And a Low-grade Spirit Lake could produce hundreds of spirit stones in a year. Now, all that has gone down the drain.

  Of course, a Spirit Lake did far more for a clan than just produce Spirit Stones. One of its primary benefit was increasing the cultivation speed of the clan's cultivators.

  Once you set up a Qi Gathering Array near the Spirit Lake. Anyone who cultivated within that Formation would see their cultivation speed go up drastically.

  And not only that, but a Spirit Lake also provided Qi to multiple Spirit Fields that produced much of the Spirit herbs and other such resources for the clan to consume and export.

  Without those Spirit Lakes, all those spirit fields would die out. Which would be a double loss for the clan.

  Triple loss, when you consider that many of the Spirit Farmers in the clan that once used to work on those fields would now no longer have a job.

  This was really a great disaster for the clan.

  "Will grandfather recover?" He finally asked in leu of not knowing what else to say.

  "Your grandfather…" His father hesitated, as if wondering whether to speak or not. But in the end, he continued. "He used a forbidden technique to survive the battle. One that burns lifespan."

  Li Yuan closed his eyes, already knew what that meant.

  "He has a few years left," His father finished quietly.

  Silence settled between them.

  "When he passes," His father continued after a while, "we'll have only two Foundation Establishment cultivators left in the clan."

  "I'm aware." He said.

  "With the loss of the lake," His father continued, "our standing is already shaky. Your grandfather's death will weaken us further till we become one of the weakest 9th Grade family in the Redleaf Prefecture. We're still a ninth-tier family—for now. But if we lose one more mid-grade spirit lake… or one more Foundation Establishment cultivator…"

  His father didn't finish the sentence. He didn't need to. Li Yuan already knew what would happen to the clan if that happened.

  They would fall from their position as a 9th grade nobility. Stripped of status, of their tax benefits, of their privileges, and certain protections they received from the empire.

  Li Yuan leaned back slowly in his chair, his expression blank as he thought on all this, and if he could do anything to help his family.

  His fingers traced his Spatial Ring, and he thought of the Low Grade Spirit Lake inside it. He thought of giving it to his father, but then decided against it.

  Weakened as it was, the clan still had half a dozen low-grade spirit lakes and one mid-grade spirit lake. Having one more Low-grade Spirit lake won't bring them much relief.

  "I didn't come to ask anything of you, Yuan'er." His father continue. "I just wanted you to know of the situation within the clan. To be prepared for your grandfather's passing. From now on, you should focus on yourself. Focus on growing stronger, Don't worry about the clan. We can take care of ourselves."

  Li Yuan didn't respond to his father's words. His mind was already moving as he thought of ways in which he could help his clan.

  And finally, he made his decision.

  "Father. Take me to the room you rented."

  His father hesitated, then nodded and stood.

  The room his father brought him to was… bad.

  Cracked plaster. A broken wooden table with only three legs. A bedding that had looked infested with bugs. All in all, it was the kind of place rented by someone truly poor and desperate. Someone who was down in his luck and needed to count every spirit stone he spent.

  Li Yuan felt something tighten in his chest at the sight. 'So this was how far things had fallen.' He thought.

  The door closed behind them with a dull thud. And Li Yuan straightened, letting the Veil of Borrowed Heaven dissolve.

  The change was immediate as his father sensed his true Cultivation level and froze on his spot. His eyes widened, pupils shrinking as if he'd been struck.

  "Fi—fifth stage…" he whispered. "Yuan'er. How?"

  Li Yuan met his father's gaze calmly. "I encountered some fortune while staying in the sect. My talent improved thanks to that, and so has my cultivation." He paused. "You don't need to worry about me, Father. Even without clan resources, I'll be just fine."

  For a heartbeat, his father just stared.

  Then his shoulders sagged, and he laughed—a short, disbelieving sound that cracked halfway through and turned into something dangerously close to a sob.

  "That's… that's good," his father said hoarsely. "That's a great relief to hear."

  His father stepped forward and pulled him into a tight embrace, hands gripping his robes like he was afraid the moment would vanish if he let go.

  Li Yuan let his father hug him for a moment before he stepped back. "There's more," Li Yuan said quietly.

  He reached into his spatial ring. He hesitated for a brief moment, then he firmed his will and pulled out the Spirit Stones placed inside.

  The Spirit stones poured out in a floor.

  Mid-grade spirit stones clattered onto the floor—one hundred and fifty of them—followed by a heap of low-grade stones that filled the room until they resembled a large pile of gravel.

  His father's face drained of colour.

  "Yuan'er…" he breathed. "This—this is—"

  "As I said, I found a great opportunity." He met his father's stunned gaze evenly and continue. "Take these back with you, father. Buy a Foundation Establishment pill at the next auction. Try to break through."

  His father recoiled as if burned. "No. Absolutely not. This is yours. You're the one in the sect. You'll need—"

  "I don't," Li Yuan said, voice firm. "You're at Peak Qi Condensation. You're the one in need of a breakthrough right now. If you succeed, the clan stabilises. Even weakened, it won't fall. In comparison, I'm only at fifth stage—it will be years before I need a Foundation Establishment Pill."

  His father shook his head violently. "I can't take this from you."

  "You're not taking it for yourself, father," Li Yuan replied. "You're taking this for the sake of the clan."

  His words silenced his father who started at him with a complicated expression for a long moment.

  Finally, his father's shoulders slumped. His hands trembled as he reached down and touched one of the mid-grade stones, as if to confirm it was real.

  "…You've grown, Yuan'er" his father said quietly. And after a long moment, he nodded and accepted the Spirit stones, placing them into his own Spatial pouch.

  The moment his father accepted those spirit stones, the halo above his head changed from White to Green.

  And looking at it showed him a vision of his father buying a Foundation Establishment Pill at the next Auction, and using it to successfully break through to the Foundation Establishment realm.

  His shoulders relaxed as the vision ended, and he watched his father place the last of the spirit stones inside his Spatial ring. Then, he sighed deeply and reached into his Spatial ring once again.

  The object he withdrew this time was an insect cocooned within a rock. And he held it out carefully to his father.

  Li Zheng frowned. "What is this, Yuan'er?"

  "A Lifespan Gu," Li Yuan said, and then explained the details. What it did, how to awaken it and how to use it.

  His father stiffed at his words, looking at the small insect in shock, and a measure of fear.

  He could understand his father's reaction. A hundred years was no small deal. If sold in an auction, this Gu would easily sell for Tens of millions of Spirit Stones at the very least.

  He knew this because he had looked into the matter. And thus knew that a few years ago, a Ten Year Lifespan Gu was sold in an Auction for over Three million Spirit Stones.

  Cultivators at Golden Core and Nascent Soul Realm had long lifespans. But that lifespan was still limited. And once it had run out… well, many of the Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators were the sole support of their entire family. So their family would do anything to keep them alive for as long as possible.

  Hence the large price for any Life-extending item in the market.

  If his family handed over this item to the empire. Then, they would surely go from a mere 9th Grade family, to an 8th Grade family at the very least. With the empire ensuring that they had the means to protect themselves till they've reached the point where they could stand upon their own feet.

  All in all, the Hundred Year Lifespan Gu was so incredibly valuable, that had it been anyone else but his own Grandfather, he would've never suggested the Gu be used by him.

  But he only had one grandfather. And the old man had made great sacrifices for the clan his entire life. The least he could do to repay that, was to let him live a bit longer. And continue serving as a pillar of support for the family.

  After all, with his cheat abilities, it was only a matter of time before he reaches Foundation Establishment, then Golden Core, then Nascent Soul and further. And when he rises, he would ensure that his family rises with him.

  To him, the rise of his family was a foregone conclusion. The only thing he required of his family members, was to live long enough to see that rise.

  His father swallowed hard as he accepted the Lifespan Gu, tears finally spilling free. "Yuan'er… who would've thought that in our time of greatest need, you've become… our greatest support."

  Li Yuan scratched his head, not knowing how to respond to that.

  "I'll take it back," His father said, voice thick with emotion. "I swear to you—the clan won't forget this. When you reach Peak Qi Condensation, we'll do everything in our power to secure a Foundation Establishment pill for you."

  Li Yuan nodded once.

  They embraced again—the hug lasting much longer this time.

  When they finally parted, and Li Yuan walked his father to the door.

  "Go back immediately father. Now that you have all this treasure, the longer you stay here, the more dangerous it'll be for you. " he said. "Don't linger. Go home as quickly as possible."

  His father nodded, clutching the Spatial pouch like it was his own heart. He looked back once more, eyes filled with pride, fear, and gratitude tangled together. Then, he stepped out of the room and left.

  Li Yuan stood in the room for a while longer, praying that his father would make his way back home without encountering any danger.

  Then, he left the room as well and headed back to the sect.

  Time to breakthrough to the 6th stage and then deal with Shu Dong, thus removing a major danger for himself and his family.