21: seclusion

After dinner, Li Mu spent some affectionate time with Zhao Yaru before beginning preparations for his Seclusion. He arranged for Li Ziyun to take good care of Zhao Yaru, having the two of them temporarily share a room. Afterward, he took out some Spirit Promotion Pills and distributed them to both women, instructing them to wait quietly for him to emerge from Seclusion. Only then did he walk into the room, close the door, sit cross-legged on the Meditation Cushion, retrieve the foundation establishment pill from the system space, open the bottle cap, take a deep sniff, and place it aside. He planned to consume it only after restoring himself to his peak condition.

The night passed without incident. In the morning, Li Mu slowly opened his eyes, looked at the foundation establishment pill beside him, and swallowed it without hesitation. Immediately, the Aura surrounding Li Mu surged, and half of the Spiritual Qi inside the room instantly vanished. Zhao Yaru and Li Ziyun, who were nearby, naturally sensed the change in Spiritual Qi and rushed out of their rooms to observe. Seeing that the commotion was caused by Li Mu, Zhao Yaru grew very worried.

"I wonder if Husband can succeed. Heaven bless him, I wish Husband a successful Breakthrough!" Zhao Yaru clasped her hands together and prayed sincerely.

Li Ziyun, standing nearby, performed the same action. "Madam, the Family Head will definitely be fine. Have faith in the Family Head!" Although Li Ziyun believed Li Mu would certainly achieve a successful Breakthrough, worry still lingered between her brows.

"Let's also hurry up and Cultivate. We can't drag Husband down." Zhao Yaru swept away her worries and called Li Ziyun to enter Cultivation as well. Thus, the three members of the Li Family began their journey of Seclusion.

However, Liuyun City was currently experiencing hidden undercurrents. At this time, Zhang Xiangyang, the Family Head of the Zhang Family (one of the Three Great Families), was sitting solemnly in the main seat of the Zhang Family Conference Hall, issuing a series of stern commands to recall all Zhang Family Disciples who were outside back home, as if something major had occurred.

In contrast, the Qin Family and the Wan Family showed no activity, unaware of the Zhang Family's situation, and continued to maintain their clan's industries as usual.

Inside a hidden Secret Room belonging to the Wan Family, two old men were playing chess. "Old Ghost Wan, have you heard? Old Ghost Zhang seems to be failing." Qin Dong placed a piece, speaking slowly, then his eyes lit up: "Hahahahaha, Old Ghost Wan, you lost! You're so old, how are you still such a Terrible Chess Player?"

Wan Guangyuan shook his head, no longer looking at the chessboard. Instead, he stood up, clasped his hands behind his back, and said in a low voice, "Old Ghost Qin, that old fellow Zhang Feng somehow got news about a clue to Breakthrough into the Golden Core stage. He went alone to seek that Opportunity, but he didn't find it. Instead, he was severely wounded and fled back."

"That old fellow Zhang Feng truly deserved it! In recent years, relying on a High Grade Profound Rank Magical Artifact, he has suppressed my Qin Family quite a bit!" Qin Dong spoke with a frown, expressing his dissatisfaction. "Why don't the two of us join forces and use this chance to develop our Families?" Then, his eyes lit up as he spoke slowly.

Upon hearing this, Wan Guangyuan's heart stirred. Having been suppressed by the Qin Family for years, he was also indignant. He turned his head to look at Qin Dong. "Old Ghost Qin, let's act after we've thoroughly investigated. We must seize the Zhang Family!" Before Wan Guangyuan could finish his sentence, his expression had already turned somewhat manic.

"That's right, but let's first arrange for the Younger Generation of our Families to probe them and observe the Zhang Family's reaction. We must proceed slowly and systematically."

The two reached an agreement in just a few words, as if the Zhang Family was already an Object Within Their Grasp. The City Lord's Mansion naturally wouldn't concern itself with the affairs of the Families within the city; the fiercer the Three Great Families fought, the more beneficial it was for the City Lord's Mansion to control Liuyun City.

At this moment, the City Lord had naturally also received the news. Inside the City Lord's Mansion's Secret Room, there were two figures, one old and one young. The elder was sitting cross-legged on a Meditation Cushion. Although the elder's face was ancient, his body exuded a dense Life Force.

"Qinger, what brings you here?" The Ouyang Family Ancestor slowly opened his eyes and asked Ouyang Qing, who was standing beside him.

"Reporting to Old Ancestor, the Zhang Family Old Ancestor, Zhang Feng, is severely wounded and likely doesn't have much time left." Ouyang Qing cupped his hands toward the elder on the Meditation Cushion, his eyes filled with respect.

The Ouyang Family Ancestor's expression shifted, but he quickly returned to normal. The Zhang Family's affairs weren't enough to capture his attention; he was merely slightly curious. "Oh? Zhang Feng entered Foundation Establishment Peak many years ago, and he carries a High Grade Profound Rank Magical Artifact. The Qin Family and the Wan Family shouldn't possess such strength."

Ouyang Qing quickly stepped forward to clarify for the Old Ancestor. "Zhang Feng somehow received news about a Breakthrough into the Golden Core stage and went to seek that Opportunity, but he was severely wounded and fled back. As for who attacked him, please forgive Qinger's incompetence, but we haven't investigated that yet."

"Hmm, there's no need to pay too much attention to this matter. I will investigate it myself. You should go attend to the city's affairs." After saying this, the Ouyang Family Ancestor closed his eyes again. Seeing this, Ouyang Qing cupped his hands and excused himself. After returning to the City Lord's Mansion, he immediately ordered the cessation of the investigation into the Zhang Family's affairs.

Two days later, the Zhang Family became increasingly quiet. They didn't even respond when the Qin Family and the Wan Family bullied them right at their doorstep, seemingly confirming the fact that the Zhang Family Old Ancestor, Zhang Feng, was injured.

In front of a Spirit Medicine Shop, many Cultivators were gathered, and the surrounding crowd dared not approach. It turned out this location was one of the Zhang Family's assets. All the Cultivators gathered here belonged to the Wan Family, and Wan Hong and Wan Fan were prominently among them, acting as the leaders.

"Cousin, it seems the Zhang Family has truly declined. I didn't expect us to occupy this Spirit Medicine Shop so easily." Wan Hong said with a grin.

"This is a task arranged by the Family Head. Something major must have happened to the Zhang Family, but this isn't something we can get involved in. We just need to honestly complete the Family Head's task." Wan Fan wasn't nearly as happy, and his brows were tightly furrowed as if he were contemplating something. He felt that seizing the Zhang Family's assets shouldn't be so simple. He shook his head and stopped thinking about it; affairs of the upper echelon were not something a mere Qi Refining Cultivator like him could influence.

"We've been searching in the city for several days now, so why haven't we seen Brother Li?" Wan Fan, suddenly thinking of Li Mu, his savior, turned to ask Wan Hong.

"I don't know either. Brother Li couldn't have deceived us, right? It's just a shame we didn't manage to leave behind a Communication Talisman back then!" Wan Hong looked helpless. After leaving the Flowing Cloud Forest, the two had been searching for Li Mu in the city, but their inability to find him left them somewhat dispirited. They were unaware that Li Mu had stayed in the Flowing Cloud Forest for Half a Month and went into Seclusion immediately upon returning, never wandering around Liuyun City.

At this moment, the Spiritual Qi gathered by the Spirit Gathering Array in the Li Family had been almost entirely depleted. The Spiritual Qi inside the Li Family was now comparable to the outside world. Zhao Yaru and Li Ziyun also stopped Cultivating, nervously watching Li Mu's room. It turned out that since morning, the speed at which Li Mu absorbed Spiritual Qi had increased significantly, and the air in the courtyard had grown heated. Although the two women had never witnessed the process of a Foundation Establishment Breakthrough, they guessed that Li Mu had entered a critical stage. Immediately, both women stopped Cultivating and stood guard over Li Mu in the courtyard.

Just as the two women were worrying, the Spiritual Qi that had been continuously gathering in the courtyard suddenly stopped, and the heated atmosphere instantly vanished. The two women didn't know if Li Mu had succeeded, and their expressions of worry deepened.

Inside the room, Li Mu slowly opened his eyes. He suddenly felt that he could see Zhao Yaru and Li Ziyun worrying in the courtyard through the door. A colony of ants moving house in front of the door, and the leaves rustling due to the Spiritual Qi fluctuations, all flashed through Li Mu's mind. This made Li Mu guess that it was the effect of Divine Sense, an ability only gained after a successful Breakthrough.

At the same time, the System's voice echoed in Li Mu's Sea of Consciousness: "Ding..."