Chapter 516
by fanqienovelChapter 516: I Have a Task for You
“Dad, what do you need me for?” Liu Hongxia asked respectfully, looking at Li Xiaojun.
“Ahem, well, Hongxia, I need your help with something.”
“What is it?”
“It’s like this…”
Li Xiaojun explained the situation he was facing to Liu Hongxia.
Upon hearing Li Xiaojun’s words, a look of resentment appeared on Liu Hongxia’s face.
She thought her biological father had called her for something good.
Unexpectedly, it was this.
Remembering the last time her father had used her to enhance Ye Qinxian’s spirit roots and the pain of having her innate essence extracted, she felt a bit apprehensive.
However, since her father had come to her, it seemed she had no choice but to accept.
“Dad, if I agree, what will you give me as compensation?” Liu Hongxia asked Li Xiaojun.
“Well…”
Li Xiaojun thought for a moment.
He felt that Liu Hongxia should have enough cultivation resources, so he didn’t think she needed that as compensation.
As he considered what he could offer her, it seemed he had nothing.
“What do you want?” Li Xiaojun directly asked Liu Hongxia.
Rather than guessing, it was better to ask directly.
After pondering for a moment, Liu Hongxia replied, “Dad, I want merit. Is that okay?”
“No,” Li Xiaojun immediately shook his head in refusal.
It wasn’t that he was unwilling to give Liu Hongxia merit; the problem was that he didn’t have any merit at the moment.
Moreover, even if he did have merit, several others were ahead of Liu Hongxia in line.
He promoted Yan Qingling’s cultivation level because of her good talent; after enhancing her power, she could support the other siblings.
He elevated Li Bai’s cultivation level for similar reasons; his talent was better than the others’ so that Li Xiaojun’s other children wouldn’t feel jealous.
However, if he were to elevate Liu Hongxia’s level, there would be many who would object.
For example, his eldest daughter Li Yuting, second daughter Li Yufei, and the third to seventh siblings would not agree to prioritize Liu Hongxia.
So, for the sake of father-daughter relationships, Li Xiaojun chose to refuse.
After declining, Li Xiaojun realized he shouldn’t hurt Liu Hongxia’s feelings, so he explained, “I don’t have any merit right now, and I’ve already promised to elevate Li Bai to Taiyi Golden Immortal before helping Li Yuting and the others.”
Hearing Li Xiaojun’s explanation, Liu Hongxia felt a bit disappointed, but she didn’t show it. Instead, she smiled and said, “It’s fine! Since you don’t have merit now, let’s leave it at that. I thought about it, and I don’t really need anything at the moment, so I’ll just forgo any requests.
I’m ready; you can extract my innate essence now, Dad.”
Upon hearing Liu Hongxia say this, Li Xiaojun suddenly felt a wave of guilt.
After thinking for a moment, he said to Liu Hongxia, “How about this? After I elevate Li Yuting and the others, I will enhance you first.”
“Thank you, Dad!” Liu Hongxia nodded with a smile, looking very happy.
“Now, I will begin to extract your innate essence, so bear with it.”
“Alright, Dad, go ahead!”
…
A few days later.
Liu Hongxia left.
Li Xiaojun held a fist-sized, intangible item in his hand, which was the innate essence extracted from Liu Hongxia.
This essence was bound in his hand by great power, yet it was rapidly dissipating.
At the normal rate of dissipation, it would completely vanish in a few years.
This shows that ordinary people cannot preserve innate essence.
However, this posed no challenge for Li Xiaojun.
He placed the essence into the system space, and immediately, it stopped dissipating.
“Master.”
Li Xiaojun approached He Mu Shan, and He Mu Shan quickly bowed respectfully to him.
“How is your practice of the Swallowing Heaven Technique going?” Li Xiaojun asked He Mu Shan.
“Master, I have already mastered it,” He Mu Shan replied respectfully.
Hearing this, Li Xiaojun nodded in satisfaction.
After considering for a moment, he took a thumb-sized piece from the fist-sized innate essence in the system space.
“Practice the Swallowing Heaven Technique, and I will assist you in your cultivation.”
“Yes, Master.”
Upon hearing Li Xiaojun’s words, He Mu Shan quickly crossed his legs and began to rapidly practice the Swallowing Heaven Technique.
At the same time, Li Xiaojun directly infused the thumb-sized innate essence into He Mu Shan’s body.
One month later.
Li Xiaojun looked at He Mu Shan, whose talent had risen to the Immortal spirit root, and nodded in satisfaction.
He deliberately controlled He Mu Shan’s talent so that when he achieved tribulation, he could ascend to the Immortal Realm.
If he elevated his talent further, he would no longer be able to ascend.
Of course, the main reason was that Li Xiaojun was reluctant to consume too much innate essence since He Mu Shan was merely his tool.
“Alright, starting tomorrow, you can learn magical arts with me.”
“Thank you for passing on the teachings, Master!”
…
A decade passed in the blink of an eye.
One day, under Li Xiaojun’s guidance with various rare treasures, He Mu Shan finally reached the Nascent Soul stage.
“Master, I have broken through to the Nascent Soul stage!” He Mu Shan said excitedly as he approached Li Xiaojun.
At this moment, He Mu Shan looked like a handsome young man in his twenties.
Cultivators can reshape their appearance and physique at the Nascent Soul stage.
Previously, He Mu Shan was an old and unattractive man because of his poverty, spending his entire life alone without ever marrying.
Now, with the ability to change his appearance through cultivation, he chose to look twenty with handsome features.
“Hmm, very good.”
Li Xiaojun nodded at He Mu Shan, acknowledging his progress.
In the next moment, he flicked his finger, and a space ring appeared before He Mu Shan.
“Here, take this.”
“Master, what is this?”
“This is a storage ring. You can bond it with your soul, and it has a space inside for storing items.”
Li Xiaojun told He Mu Shan, “Inside, I have stored many cultivation resources for you.”
Hearing Li Xiaojun’s words, He Mu Shan quickly took the storage ring and then knelt down before Li Xiaojun, banging his head softly on the ground several times.
“Thank you, Master, for this treasure.”
He Mu Shan spoke with deep gratitude, tears streaming down his face.
In his life, no one had ever treated him so well.
This Master before him was exceptionally kind to him.
At that moment, He Mu Shan’s heart was filled with gratitude.
Seeing He Mu Shan’s actions, Li Xiaojun felt quite satisfied.
Although he was merely utilizing He Mu Shan, he was genuinely moved at this moment.
After thinking for a moment, Li Xiaojun quietly added some sealed immortal essence stones into the storage ring.
In the Spirit Realm, immortal essence stones would slowly be eroded into superior grade spirit stones.
However, if sealed with a special seal, the spiritual energy of the immortal essence stones would not dissipate.
Additionally, immortal essence stones could ascend to the Immortal Realm along with cultivators.
Thus, Li Xiaojun directly provided He Mu Shan enough immortal essence stones to cultivate to the Heavenly Immortal realm.
Giving him so many immortal essence stones was a show of the bond between master and disciple.
“Great Mountain!”
Li Xiaojun called out to He Mu Shan.
“Master, do you have any instructions?” He Mu Shan quickly asked.
“Great Mountain, there’s something I haven’t told you. This place is not the Immortal Realm.”
“Ah?” He Mu Shan’s mouth fell open in surprise.
“Master, you say this is not the Immortal Realm? Are you not an Immortal?” He Mu Shan asked Li Xiaojun.
“It is indeed not the Immortal Realm, but I am an Immortal.”
Li Xiaojun smiled and said, “This place is actually a secret realm…”
Li Xiaojun explained the situation of the secret realm to He Mu Shan.
Then, he continued speaking to He Mu Shan, “Next, I have a task for you…”