After the path was cut off

The warm jade in his arms, which led him to Baixi Town, gradually warmed up.

At that moment, Li Wangxiang suddenly felt a sense of reality—he was really almost home.

It is only natural to feel apprehensive when approaching home. But at this moment, his emotions were more like a stagnant pool of water that had been churned up by a boulder, with sediment rising and everything in a state of chaos and confusion.

At this moment, he was thinking about something: why the word "homecoming" was becoming more and more important to him every day.

Was it because the road suddenly ended, because of childhood memories, because of those family letters, or something deeper?

He couldn't find the answer, but amidst his chaotic thoughts, a face suddenly came to mind.

She was a woman he met when he had completed his Qi cultivation, left his sect to travel to Zhongzhou for training, and took the opportunity to visit his family.

He had only met her once, and they had exchanged a few words about their hometown. But the woman's appearance and voice had never truly faded from his heart.

She possessed a captivating beauty, a cool and alluring charm, yet she was also down on her luck, her life a series of hardships.

She always whispered:

"The complexities of human nature are beyond my control..."

"If there is an afterlife, I would rather be a stubborn rock or rotten wood than a human being."

At that time, Li Wangxiang did not realize how serious those words were.

They assumed she had grown weary of the world and that was why she had given up on herself.

Later, she died saving him.

On her deathbed, as she was about to breathe her last, all she could see was liberation.

she says:

"Let's go, fellow Daoist."

"Your life... is still tied to the eyes that long for your return home."

"And me..."

The second half of the sentence wasn't even finished.

Li Wangxiang never liked owing anyone money.

I especially dislike owing people who are supposed to go their separate ways after meeting them once.

But he would never have the chance to repay this life-saving grace.

She saved him, perhaps only because she sensed the unwavering longing for his homeland in his heart. If there was anything left to repay—it was this one thing.

Now that his path is cut off, there is nothing left for him to give up.

So he decided to use this crippled body to do something that needed to be done.

Build a city!

A barrier between immortals and mortals that can protect loved ones, allowing them to stand on their own two feet, free from dependence on others, and preventing them from being reduced to livestock!

If this wish is fulfilled, I will die without regret.

--------

Li Wangxiang slowly walked to the front of a low mountain range. Before him were jagged rocks and overgrown weeds, seemingly desolate and ordinary.

But as he made a hand seal, the view before him suddenly opened up—a field of crisscrossing paths stretched out before him, sparse figures were working in the fields, children with their hair in topknots were chasing and playing, and the sounds of dogs barking and roosters crowing could be faintly heard...

This is Baixi Town, the hometown that Li Wangxiang longs for.

Fifty years have passed, and this place is no longer the desolate place it once was.

Instead of returning to the Li residence first, Li Wangxiang took a walk around the town and the surrounding villages.

Half a day later, he finally got a clear picture of the situation in Baixi Town and the twelve surrounding villages.

Today, the town has a population of about 100 households, and the surrounding villages each have around 1,000 households. Every household has children; three or four is common, and five or six is ​​not unusual. Roughly calculated, the population of this area has grown to over 100,000.

Thinking back to when I left my hometown, there were only a few dozen households, the fields were desolate, and the population was sparse.

Such a scene has now emerged.

A surge of intense pride welled up in Li Wangxiang's heart. It was precisely because of his secret protection and the true lineage that this place could be so comforting and worry-free.

Of course, he also knew that he was only protecting the outside world from the storms. What truly sustained this place generation after generation were the people who had lived out of the mud.

Finally, he stopped in front of a simple house. This was the Li family home, with its plain walls and old bricks and wood, not much different from the other families in town with some savings.

Li Wangxiang stood silently outside the door for a long time, his trepidation at the prospect of returning home reaching its peak. It had been twenty years since he last returned home. Back then, his elder brother had not yet shown signs of aging, but mortals grow old quickly, and he did not know how to face him.

I don't know how long I stood there, until suddenly a surprised and doubtful voice called out from behind me:

"Father... Father?"

Li Wangxiang turned around upon hearing the sound.

A burly young man in a gray cloth jacket strode over. The man hesitated at first, but after seeing him clearly, he quickened his pace, leaving the two boys and girls behind him far behind.

The young man rushed forward and bowed deeply, saying, "Your son, Jingshan, greets your father!"

A smile immediately spread across Li Wangxiang's face. He reached out to help the person up, looked at them carefully, and felt a warmth in his heart.

"well."

"You're so tall, even your father has to look up to you."

Li Jingshan scratched his head and laughed heartily.

"I've grown tall, but my cultivation has been slow to improve. I'm sorry to have made a fool of myself in front of you, Father."

At this moment, two other figures also approached from behind.

One boy, one girl.

The boy was not tall, dressed neatly in simple clothes, with gentle features and a calm and amiable demeanor beyond his years.

The girl was taller, with a clear and cool face, slightly raised eyebrows, and a straight and upright figure like bamboo, holding a sheathed longsword steadily in her hand.

The young man stepped forward to bow, his voice clear and gentle:

"Grandson Qingfeng greets his great-uncle."

The girl followed closely behind, her voice like the clash of cold jade:

"Your grandson, Qingxia, pays his respects to his great-uncle."

When Li Wangxiang's gaze fell on the boy's face, his heart suddenly skipped a beat.

The child's features bore a striking resemblance to his father from his memories.

When he looked at Qinghan again, his eyes showed even more surprise.

Qi Refining Level 7.

Zhongzhou Lingji was locked up. How did she manage to cultivate to the later stages? Her talent is so high, definitely no less than his.

"it is good."

Li Wangxiang quickly regained his composure and smiled as he helped the two of them up.

"You're all good kids, stand up and speak."

"Squeak—"

As they were talking, the slightly mottled wooden door behind them slowly opened.

An elderly man with snow-white hair and a thin frame appeared shakily in the doorway, leaning on a cane. It was Li Wangxiang's elder brother, Li Wangchuan.

Li Wangxiang immediately froze on the spot.

Ten steps away, he gazed at his brother's withered, wrinkled hands, and in a daze, he seemed to see again that morning fifty years ago when he left home.

It was these hands that packed his bags.

It was these hands that led him on foot northwards, escorting him to the gates of the Tianxuan Sect.

His throat tightened suddenly, and a thousand sorrows and countless emotions surged into his heart like a tide. He took a few steps forward, intending to perform a grand salute, but was steadily supported halfway by a pair of trembling yet strong hands.

"Brother..." Li Wangxiang's voice was hoarse and almost incoherent.

Li Wangchuan gripped his younger brother's arm tightly, his eyes, though weathered by time, still bright and clear, welled with tears. He murmured repeatedly:

"It's good that you're back...it's good that you're back."

--------

Xuan Li did not disturb the reunion of the two brothers. As Li Wangxiang traveled all over Baixi Town, everything in Baixi Town was reflected in the mirror little by little.

The town is mostly populated by young people.

In the fields, along the village roads, and among the houses, people were working, chatting, and chasing each other. Most of the men were sturdy and strong, and few of the women were thin. Children were running around everywhere, and the sounds of crying, barking dogs, and the smell of cooking oil mingled together, creating a sense of long-lost peace and tranquility.

The food and clothing of each family were roughly the same, which showed that there was no difference between rich and poor, or between the noble and the lowly.

Such a day is truly rare in Zhongzhou.

Around the town, several soup kitchens were set up, mostly housing newly taken-in refugees. Some people in the town distributed thin porridge, herbs, and coarse clothing to them, while others repeatedly told them: "Give us some more time to recover your strength, and then we can share land, crops, and grain, and settle down here."

The mirror light slowly swept across, but Xuanli's heart did not relax as a result.

This place is too young.

People under the age of thirty make up more than 70%. Looking further up, women outnumber men by several times.

This is not the typical population structure of a village or town.

This is by no means unusual.

Moreover, there was a faint sense of malice emanating from the village, and some people, despite their seemingly peaceful appearance, harbored a hostile spirit.

Furthermore, after observing the souls of the villagers, Xuan Li gradually pieced together their cause and effect.

Two incomplete images gradually emerged in the mirror.

Firstly, it is a mountain made of piled-up bones.

The mountain is riddled with caves, from which faint screams and wailing can be heard. In the very center of the mountain, a skeleton sits on a jade platform, its eyes glowing with ghostly light, and a faint, dark red light pulsating within its chest, like a hollowed-out heart.

Secondly, it is a temple standing amidst blood and passion.

The monks in the temple were emaciated, chanting scriptures, yet blood continuously flowed from their wrists. The blood did not fall to the ground, but was completely swallowed by a bronze statue. Beneath the statue was a vast pool of blood, and in the center of the pool stood a huge alchemical furnace. Within the furnace, a figure sat cross-legged, its body entirely blood-red, with three points of light flickering within its crimson palace.

The light from the Xuanli mirror dimmed slightly.

It recognized the weather. It was extremely similar to that of Siam, clearly indicating the late stage of Foundation Establishment.

Baixi Town is surrounded by these two forces, one to the east and one to the west, and thrives in the middle.

How bizarre!

Xuan Li had many guesses, but in the end, they all turned into a sigh.

"Let's tell Li Wangxiang later!"