Li Xue was filled with both shock and joy. She hurriedly took the spirit-testing plate and placed it against her son’s right hand, wanting to test him once more. Without a doubt, the red light flared again. This time, she was utterly stunned, remaining so until her son’s cries reached her ears. Poor little Li Lin—first his left hand had hurt, and now his right. He puckered his lips and could no longer hold back his tears. Snapping back to her senses, Li Xue quickly rubbed her son’s small hands and began to soothe him with a gentle voice.
A Heavenly Spiritual Root—a single Fire Root. Such talent was incredibly rare even in the cultivation world; a child with this kind of natural endowment would be fought over by every major sect. Li Xue truly did not know what to say. She herself had five spiritual roots, and while Li Ran had possessed dual roots, the fact that their son had a single root was a stroke of immense luck. She thought to herself that even if her own cultivation progressed slowly in the future, having a son to provide for her in her old age wouldn't be bad at all. *Son, your mother has high hopes for you!* Delighted, she showered him with kisses until little Li Lin giggled.
Li Xue took out another Spirit Gathering Bracelet and put it on her son. With such talent, his entry into the Yunjing Sect was now an absolute necessity. She began to deliberate. She had always been a person who acted according to a plan; in her previous life, she had lived a fulfilling life on her own precisely because she was organized and disciplined. If her son needed to reach the Yunjing Sect before the age of ten, she needed to start learning about Mangyun Mountain now—how far it was, how to get there, and what problems they might encounter on the road. Although they still had nearly nine years, the ancient world was not like the modern one. Without planes or trains, long-distance travel was far more difficult. Furthermore, in cultivation, earlier was always better than later. She had the foundational manual, but it only covered the first three layers. Li Ran had not dared to leave behind any high-level techniques, partly because he hadn't known his son’s attributes, and partly because of the principle that "possessing a jade treasure invites crime." The *Nanhuajing* could be bought in any cultivation market; as long as one kept a low profile and avoided trouble, it was generally safe.
With a plan in mind, Li Xue instructed Liu Dashan to go to town to inquire about Mangyun Mountain. Meanwhile, she drew up a learning schedule for the baby, intending to teach him to recognize characters and speak as soon as possible. It was truly miraculous; children with great talent were also exceptionally intelligent. After being taught simple characters only a few times, little Li Lin could already mimic them quite well.
A year later, Li Xue’s realm remained stuck at the mid-stage of the first level of Qi Condensation. Five-element spiritual roots were indeed slow to cultivate, and Li Xue was reluctant to constantly use Spirit Gathering Pills and spirit stones. Her son would eventually need to cultivate as well, so she had to save as much as possible for him. Little Li Lin could already walk, and he had basically mastered how to address people, though forming full sentences would likely take a few more months. Li Xue had read about scientific parenting methods online in her past life; highly intelligent children could often toddle by eight or nine months. Based on these calculations, little Li Lin should be able to begin cultivating by the age of three. Li Xue decided that she needed to be prepared within two years.
According to the information Liu Dashan brought back, Mangyun Mountain was not within the borders of the You Kingdom. To the west of You lay the Yun Kingdom, to the east was the Feng Kingdom, to the north was a desert, and to the south was the sea. It was said that further west of the Yun Kingdom lay several smaller nations, and the Mangyun Mountain Li Xue was looking for seemed to be located there. In truth, there were many places named Mangyun Mountain, but after six months of inquiries, none of the ones they found seemed to be a mountain range inhabited by cultivators. The most likely candidate was the Mangyun Mountain Range west of the Yun Kingdom, which stretched for hundreds of thousands of miles; no one knew what lay on the other side. Shanyuan Town was located at the border of the You and Feng Kingdoms; it was only because it was a border town frequented by merchants that they had been able to gather any news at all. If she wanted to gain a deeper understanding, she would have to go to the capital to investigate.
Once her decision was made, Li Xue did not hesitate. She packed her belongings and set out with Liu Sao’s family. Liu Dashan had a younger brother named Liu Xiaoshan, who was fifteen years old and a skilled mountain hunter, strong and robust. Liu Sao also had a son named Liu Xiaoniu, who was eight. Li Xue took the entire family with her so they could look out for one another on the road and have people to run errands and guard the house in the capital. As for why the Liu family agreed to leave their ancestral home—it was for the silver. Who doesn't love silver? Besides, going to the capital would broaden their horizons; everyone wanted to go.
The capital of the You Kingdom was located in the central region and was named Tiandu. Tiandu had a pleasant climate with four distinct seasons and a history of over two thousand years, having been designated as the national capital more than eight times. It took Li Xue’s group two months to reach Tiandu—a truly long and arduous journey. Li Xue was currently at the mid-stage of the first level of Qi Condensation, and the only spells she knew were the Agility Technique and the Fireball Technique. Her spiritual power would be exhausted after running about two hundred li, so she could only travel by horse carriage, crawling toward the capital like a snail.
The prosperity of Tiandu was beyond that of any ordinary city, leaving Liu Dashan’s family wide-eyed and dazzled. After presenting their travel permits, the group entered the city and settled at the Fifth Branch of the Yuelai Inn in the eastern district. The level of prosperity in Tiandu was truly comparable to the capital of Li Xue’s previous life. Aside from the backward transportation, things like inns, restaurants, banks, and jewelry halls all had multiple branches, controlled by the famous great merchant houses of the You Kingdom. Li Xue’s reason for staying at a large inn was simple: to gather information.
Li Xue had Liu Dashan step forward to exchange a gold bar at a bank, receiving five thousand taels in silver notes. Then, she asked the inn waiter for information on buying property and the status of various merchant caravans. Among them, the Ji family piqued Li Xue’s interest. It was said that the Ji family was one of the largest merchant houses in the You Kingdom, with shops spread throughout the country and even in the Yun Kingdom. They were like a modern multinational corporation.
"The Ji family, eh?" A smile appeared on Li Xue’s face. After several days of investigation, Li Xue had Liu Dashan purchase a three-entry courtyard house in the eastern suburbs. It leaned against the mountains and faced the water; the environment was excellent and very private. Although the price was a bit steep, it was worth it for the convenience of her future cultivation. Once the group was settled, Li Xue instructed the Liu brothers to head into the city to continue scouting for information on merchant caravans, hoping to learn more about Mangyun Mountain, while she focused on her cultivation and teaching her son, Li Lin.
