"No need for formalities! Haha, to be honest, young friend, as long as I can see my old brother smile more, this old man is satisfied," Qin Henian pressed his hand down.
"However, Xiaoqiao needs to decide this matter on her own," Li Ji'an added.
Qin Henian nodded in understanding, "That's how it should be, but there's no rush. Let the little girl spend a few more days with them first."
"Elder, your righteousness is comndable!" Li Ji'an sincerely praised.
Since understanding the grievances and affections between Qin Henian and Liu Jingchun, he had watched Qin Henian step by step for Liu Jingchun until now.
His actions have truly exemplified this friendship.
In the following month, Li Ji'an and his companions were arranged to stay at this Dao Field.
Liu Jingchun and his wife continued to live in the previous bamboo forest.
Initially, Guo Zilan often ca to stroll with Xiaoqiao in the Dao Field, narrating stories of the Liu family who once belonged here.
As they beca familiar, she invited Xiaoqiao to the Bamboo Forest Cottage, where she cooked delicious food and imparted her cultivation experiences.
Later on, even Liu Jingchun began to instruct her in the way of arrays.
Li Ji'an silently observed and declined several invitations, choosing not to disturb their grandparent-grandchild reunion.
What surprised Li Ji'an was that after Ning Yutan arrived here, perhaps due to having suffered from a lack of Spiritual Qi for two years, she cherished it greatly, imrsing herself in cultivation much like Li Ji'an.
One day, Qin Henian returned again, inviting Li Ji'an for a gathering.
"He must have already persuaded Xiaoqiao," Li Ji'an thought knowingly.
And he was glad of it.
After all, Xiaoqiao is her own person, with her own thoughts and emotions.
Moreover, Li Ji'an's initial intention was only to help Granny You take care of her for a few days.
And now, with Qin Henian taking her as a granddaughter, allowing Xiaoqiao to accompany Liu Jingchun and his wife, it was proper and justifiable, leaving nothing for Li Ji'an to do.
Sure enough, during the banquet, Qin Henian solemnly proposed to take Xiaoqiao as his granddaughter.
Xiaoqiao looked at Li Ji'an at the first mont.
"Uncle Li..."
"This is a great opportunity for you. Elder Qin is forthright and deeply affectionate, and he has a wealth of valuable cultivation experience," Li Ji'an said frankly.
Xiaoqiao wanted to speak but stopped, so Li Ji'an simply called her into a secret room.
Currently, the situation is that Xiaoqiao knows Liu Jingchun and his wife are her grandparents, and Liu Jingchun and his wife also know Xiaoqiao is their granddaughter, yet due to the Liu family matters, their relationship cannot be made public, and both parties are pretending not to know.
"Xiaoqiao, people are not plants, who can be without feelings? After all, they are your only blood relatives in the world, and their ti is limited. Spend aningful ti with them," Li Ji'an straightforwardly stated his thoughts.
Xiaoqiao was silent.
Though blood is thicker than water, Li Ji'an raised her, aided her cultivation, and helped her beco an Earth Spirit Master. Li Ji'an was part of nearly all her life's mories.
This bond has already surpassed blood ties.
But as Li Ji'an said, during this past month with her grandparents, Xiaoqiao also felt a different kind of familial warmth that was pure and intense, even more selfless than what she felt from Li Ji'an.
"Uncle Li, can't we all stay here? Just like this past month?" Xiaoqiao looked up, eyes filled with plea.
Li Ji'an shook his head with a smile, "Silly girl."
"Many things in this world cannot be possessed at once; don't be too greedy."
"But, it's very close here, and I will co to see you."
"Thank you, Uncle Li!" Xiaoqiao imdiately bowed down, kowtowing three tis.
Li Ji'an did not stop her; it would ease Xiaoqiao's feelings a bit.
"However, I need you to swear a Great Heart Demon Oath, not to disclose anything about to anyone."
"Okay!" Xiaoqiao imdiately made her vow.
Xiaoqiao lived with Li Ji'an since she was six, and although Li Ji'an tried to hide many things, there were still many details she was aware of, like Gugu and the Fire Spirit, and even the stone from which the Fire Spirit was born, and the withered branch.
Of course, the biggest concern was the series of actions against the Liu family.
Including breaking the array and killing the Liu Family Ancestor.
However, now as Qin Henian's granddaughter, Xiaoqiao's identity here would unlikely arouse suspicion from any intentional parties.
"Rest assured, I will keep the secrets of your being an Earth Spirit Master," Li Ji'an swore to her as well.
"Additionally, Uncle Li has a favor to ask, do your best to persuade Ning Yutan to stay and accompany you." To Li Ji'an, Ning Yutan was a special acquaintance.
Especially because of his admiration for her sister, Ning Sujin.
If in this encounter he t Ning Sujin, he might have taken her back to Solitary Peak to accompany him for a while, but as for her, aiding her a bit was the limit of their relationship.
"Okay!" Xiaoqiao agreed without hesitation.
Back at the banquet, Xiaoqiao perford the grandparent-grandchild ceremony, and Qin Henian was overjoyed, imdiately instructing preparations for a large gathering to acknowledge his granddaughter.
He sent out invitations widely, inviting Dao friends from all directions to celebrate.
He planned to celebrate the matter in grand style.
Then Xiaoqiao personally invited Ning Yutan to stay with her, which thrilled Ning Yutan.
Having been once rescued by Li Ji'an and suddenly learning that he was a Foundation Establishnt Elder, she was a bit panicked.
After all, due to past unfortunate experiences and hidden secrets.
If he was truly driven by inappropriate desires, she would likely have no power to refuse.
In ti, her secrets could be discovered.
This past month, she imrsed herself in cultivation largely to avoid overly frequent interactions with Li Ji'an.
This ti, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Later, Qin Henian gifted Li Ji'an a Tier Three Spiritual Bamboo, showing his generosity with such a grand gesture.
That evening, Li Ji'an bid farewell to everyone, accompanied by Xiaoqiao to the outskirts of the Odd Stone Forest, where Gugu and the Fire Spirit, uncomprehending of parting, simply treated it as another routine separation, feeling no particular sadness.
But Li Ji'an knew that from this parting, Xiaoqiao's life path and theirs would diverge, and what was once a family would, in the future, at most be relatives.
Just like a daughter getting married.
Half a month later, Li Ji'an returned to Solitary Peak.
The once bustling peak now felt sowhat desolate without one person.
Yet, Li Ji'an had long co to understand life's impermanence, the eting and parting of people were part of the Dao, and impermanence itself was constant, having no impact on his state of mind.
"The proficiency in Tier Two Late-period talisman crafting is now exceptional. If the Wood Magic Power could reach the Early Foundation Establishnt level, it could almost guarantee success!" Half a month later, after converting the Spiritual Bamboo gifted by Qin Henian into talisman materials, Li Ji'an successfully crafted three talismans in one go, boosting his confidence in his talisman-crafting skills.
The only drawback was that his main cultivation in the Fire Elent Technique was still not as profound and substantial.
He attempted using auxiliary Wood Magic Power for crafting, which clearly increased the success rate, but his auxiliary Wood Magic Power was at its peak in Late Qi Cultivation, only barely able to craft Mid-term Tier Two talismans.
"I wonder to what extent my Spirit Root could grow in the next life?" In recent years, he had reached a relatively clear conclusion regarding his experints on repairing damaged Spirit Roots.
The repair effects were evident, increasing the effectiveness of forming a true Spirit Root by about thirty percent compared to those not repaired with Nourishing Vein Pill.
Moreover, the longer the Spirit Root had been neglected, the more pronounced the effect.
With this verification, Li Ji'an was actually quite optimistic about his Spirit Root situation in the next life.
However, after two cultivation lifetis, his expectations for Spirit Roots were not particularly high; reaching Upper Grade would already be satisfying.
From his cultivation experiences, including witnessing the growth trajectories of so Inner Sect disciples of Biyun Sect, he realized that once Spirit Roots reach a certain level, they are rely foundational for cultivation.
The ultimate achievent is primarily determined by luck, with heart nature being exceptionally important, followed by resources and connections.
"It's a pity that cultivation technique remained elusive," what he cared about most for the next life was cultivation techniques.
The techniques he cultivated this life made progress very difficult after Foundation Establishnt, apart from insufficiently profound Magical Power, the cultivation efficiency beca increasingly slower towards the later stages.
His original intent was to acquire a technique accidentally obtained by the Red Stone Wanderer, one referred to as the Immortal Scripture by an ancient Nascent Soul True Monarch.
But after several contacts with the Red Stone Wanderer, he realized that the man was not simple, impossible to fully discern even with his current knowledge.
If his lifespan remained unchanged, there was no telling how long he had lived, nor what great secrets he held.
Additionally, he consoled himself, since even a True Monarch said it was too late to practice the Immortal Scripture, indicating its difficulty in cultivation, he might not be able to master it even if obtained now.
His understanding of the Cultivation Realm was still limited; perhaps he should proceed steadily rather than aimlessly aspiring to achieve overnight success!
"If I can practice the Sect's Foundation Technique in the next life, I will be content!"
Before he realized it, three months had passed, and Qin Henian's grand ceremony for Xiaoqiao was about to comnce, a ceremony Li Ji'an had to attend.
It was just when he registered at Pill Cauldron Peak that a piece of news surprised him: the Soul Lamp of a True Disciple, Jiang Yunzhou, had extinguished, with the direction indicated to be in the northeastern Demon Realm!
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