From the family treasure tree to build an eternal family

Chapter 301 The Emperor's Death heralds the coming of chaos.

Ru'an Mountain.

The main hall of the Xu family.

The ten members who make up the "Clan Elders' Hall" gathered together.

The five people with the highest seniority are Xiao Niu, Xiao Hou, Zhong Che, Zhong Huai, and Zhong Xi.

Besides the five of them, the five people with the highest cultivation level are Yi Qing, Zhong Xu, Li Kun, Li Yuan, and Li Jing.

They gathered together to discuss the selection of the "head of the Xu family".

Who are the people who have signed up to run for head of the family this time?

Xu Xiaoniu inquired.

"There are five people: Li Bo, Ren Zheng, Xian Zhao, and Xian Wen..."

"Wenwen?"

Many people present found the name unfamiliar.

Zhong Huai spoke up: "Nonsense, this kid is only a teenager, what kind of family head are you running for? Everyone ignore him, let's choose from the other four."

"Let's forget about Xianzhao. He has good aptitude and comprehension. Don't waste too much time on trivial matters. It's more important to focus on cultivation."

The head of the Xu family doesn't wield much power; his main responsibilities are the allocation of family resources and handling various miscellaneous tasks. Although he receives some resource rewards, these rewards are meager, merely symbolic.

The head of the Xu family allocates resources, which are then subject to oversight and detailed records by the clan elders, ensuring that the allocation and utilization are based on reason and evidence.

As for the truly important matters concerning the Xu family, those decisions must be made by the elders of the clan.

Therefore, being the "head of the family" meant dedicating more of one's time and energy to the family's miscellaneous affairs, and it was not a desirable job.

If one has talent in cultivation, or other talents such as alchemy or formations, it is definitely better to develop those talents.

Among the ten, Li Jing spoke up: "I recommend my name, Sun Renzheng. His talent for cultivation is average; he's only at the late stage of Qi Refining so far. He's honest and reliable, methodical in his work, and quite clever..."

I'm not favoring him just because he's my grandson.

After he finished speaking, he added one last sentence.

Xu Renzheng, Li Kun's grandson, is in his thirties and has reached the seventh level of Qi Refining. His aptitude for cultivation is indeed not outstanding. Given the Xu family's current access to the Ru'an Mountain spiritual land and various resources, it would be considered average if he couldn't break through to the late stage of Qi Refining before the age of thirty.

Li Yuan echoed, "I know Ren Zheng fairly well; that kid is indeed quite good."

Then Li Kun said, "I've met Ren Zheng a few times; he's quite polite."

"..."

The Xu family has grown to its current size, with a large number of members and a significant generational gap.

The selection of the head of the family by the clan elders seems fair and just, but there is a problem: they do not know much about the candidates they have chosen.

For example, Xu Xiaoniu and Xu Xiaohou felt unfamiliar with the names of their younger relatives, such as "Xianwen".

As for the other people, they only "knew" them, but didn't really understand them.

"In that case, let's choose Renzheng as the head of the Xu family. Do you have any other recommendations?"

As Xu Xiaoniu spoke, his gaze swept across everyone to see if there were any objections.

Among these people, although many did not know Ren Zheng, they also did not know the others and could not suggest a better candidate.

With no better option available, Renzheng was the only choice.

Seeing that no one objected, Xu Xiaoniu made the decision: "Then I hereby announce that Renzheng is the head of the Xu family from this day forward. Zhonghuai, you will have to assist him for some time."

"Grandpa, I know."

Xu Zhonghuai nodded. Having been the head of the family for so many years, he was most familiar with the operation of the Xu family in all aspects. Next, he would pass on the responsibility of being the head of the family to Renzheng.

"Let me add one more thing: if everyone finds that Renzheng is not up to the task of being the head of the family, we can choose another head of the family."

Xu Xiaoniu added.

Their clan elders have the authority to change the head of the family.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Xu Renzheng became the head of the Xu family.

After a period of getting to know him, he was able to take on the responsibilities of the head of the family and was considered quite competent.

The Xu family members gradually came to accept him as the head of the family.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The Qian Yuan Immortal Dynasty has a total of thirty-eight prefectures.

Zhennan Prefecture is located at the southernmost point, bordering the Huangze Mountains. Further south lies the Baiyue Immortal Dynasty.

To the north of Zhennan Prefecture, separated by two prefectures, lies the prosperous and bustling Nanzhou Prefecture.

The area of ​​Nanzhou Prefecture is about the same size as that of Zhennan Prefecture, but Nanzhou Prefecture is located in a place with outstanding people and abundant resources such as spiritual veins, and has a larger population and more cultivators.

Nanzhou Prefecture.

On a prosperous, third-tier spiritual mountain, a magnificent palace was built.

The palace sits atop the mountains, shrouded in mist, resembling a celestial palace.

At this moment, in one of the main halls.

A "celestial being" sat high on the throne, his body as smooth as jade and exuding an ethereal aura, high above all others.

He is a prince of the Qian Yuan Immortal Dynasty: the Prince of Nanzhou, whose real name is "He Ting".

Heting is a Nascent Soul Daoist, and he also has another identity: the grandson of the current emperor.

“My children, according to my calculations, His Majesty reached the age of a thousand years ago. He is still alive today, presumably because he has used a life-extending treasure. However, the effect of life extension is ultimately limited. There are rumors in the palace that His Majesty will pass away in a few more years at most. We must make plans as soon as possible.”

One should not have the heart to harm others, but one must be wary of others…

The crowd standing below Hettin consisted of his children, grandchildren, and descendants.

He lived for over five hundred years, and his surviving sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons numbered over a hundred. All of them were at the Golden Core or Foundation Establishment stage of cultivation.

He summoned everyone to discuss how to deal with the emperor's impending death.

As a member of the royal family, the Ujunara clan, he knew all too well that nothing was more cruel and bloody than the struggle for the throne.

Their royal family had no enemies in the Qian Yuan Immortal Dynasty, because they were "Heaven," who held supreme power.

However, every time power changes hands, a struggle and bloodshed are inevitable.

According to historical records, the struggles for the throne among previous emperors were all like this, without exception.

Even the embellished accounts in historical records are incredibly bloody and cruel; the truth is only much more brutal.

The struggle for the throne will inevitably involve a contest between various factions unless an unparalleled super-strong individual emerges, crushing everyone else and becoming the undisputed heir to the throne.

It's worth noting that every emperor, during their lifetime, would select an heir by appointing a prince or issuing a will to prevent such a situation from occurring. However, in reality, this proved to be almost entirely ineffective.

Even the existence of a will did not prevent them from fighting and vying for power.

Royal families have existed for countless years, with numerous members across generations, yet they often turn on each other and deplete their own strength in the struggle for the throne. This seems to be an unchangeable "curse."

The current emperor is the strongest cultivator in the Qian Yuan Immortal Dynasty on the surface, at the late Nascent Soul stage.

Its lifespan is capped at a thousand years, but it has already exceeded a thousand years, and is well over a hundred years past its limit. Even with the use of treasures to extend its lifespan, it has reached its limit. The current emperor seems to have no consideration for the struggle for the throne after his death, as he has many sons and grandsons.

He fathered more than two hundred princes, but fewer than twenty of them are still alive.

Many princes did not cultivate to the Nascent Soul stage, or even the Golden Core stage, and died young.

Some princes also died in various accidents.

These dozen or so princes are now strong contenders for the throne.

Besides the princes, there were also grandsons like Heting, and even grandsons and great-great-grandsons of the emperor who were of even lower generations.

"I've heard that a prince recently died in an accident, and the mastermind behind it has yet to be found. You must be on high alert during this time, stay home as much as possible, and act discreetly to prevent any unforeseen events..."

Hearing Hertin's words, everyone present was still shaken.

Born into royalty, they knew the cruelty of the struggle for the throne. Let alone the throne, even a hereditary princely title was often met with fratricide.

"Remember what I said. Now go your separate ways."

After speaking, Hertin gestured for everyone present to disperse.

Everyone left.

In the vast hall, only Heting remained.

He gazed towards the palace, his eyes filled with anticipation: "Grandpa Emperor, what's it like to sit on the throne? I really want to experience what it feels like to stand at the pinnacle of power."

He, the Nascent Soul Dao Lord, is qualified to compete for the supreme throne!
Although he was the grandson of the emperor and had more than a dozen uncles, there were not many people who could compete with him.

The struggle for the throne is not about seniority, but about strength.

Among the princes, there are not many who are truly powerful. What he needs to be wary of are the imperial grandsons of his generation or even younger generations of the emperor.

The princes were generally not very powerful, because the emperor was wary of them.

The reigning emperor was not particularly concerned about the struggle for the throne after his death, but he was very concerned about his safety while he was alive.

It is said that four hundred years ago, there was a prince with extraordinary talent. In addition to having dual earth elemental roots, he also had a special physique, and his cultivation progressed by leaps and bounds. His comprehension of cultivation techniques was simply heaven-defying.

With the abundant resources of the royal family, he achieved Foundation Establishment at eighteen, Golden Core at thirty, and reached the Golden Core Perfection realm before the age of eighty.

Its rapid improvement left everyone speechless.

He was sent by the emperor to fight on the frontier, where he made great contributions and became a Nascent Soul Dao Lord before the age of one hundred!
At this moment, many princes felt threatened by him.

However, before the princes could take any action, he died in battle on the frontier. Rumors circulated that the emperor, fearing his talent and ambition, had used some ruthless means to kill him.

It seems that not only the other princes were afraid, but the emperor was also afraid that someone would threaten his position.

Later on, the princes and grandsons became even more adept at "concealing their talents".

Even if someone has the qualifications and talent, they will deliberately suppress their cultivation level and will never flaunt their strength to others.

This is true not only for royal families, but also for families other than the royal family.

Being powerful enough to threaten the royal family is itself a crime.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Grandpa Emperor, you've been sitting on the throne for so many years, are you still stuck at the bottleneck of the Nascent Soul Dao Lord realm?"

Hettin had ambitions to seize the throne, but his ambitions went beyond that.

He has lived for over five hundred years and has long been accustomed to the life of a prince. Being a prince is quite good; if he hadn't perished in the struggle for the throne, he could have lived peacefully for another five hundred years.

But he was not satisfied with that.

He not only wanted the throne, but also wanted to reach even greater heights!
For cultivators, that is a greater temptation than the throne.

Above the Nascent Soul Dao Lord is the "Transformation God Stage," the true immortals and gods!
However, a Nascent Soul Dao Lord is already a cultivator above billions of others; even the current emperor is only at the Nascent Soul stage. For most people, the Divine Transformation stage exists only in legends.

The Nascent Soul stage grants control over heaven and earth, embodying the very rules of existence. Its lifespan is said to be two thousand years, though some say three thousand. Most cultivators have only heard snippets about the Nascent Soul stage and know very little about its specific divine nature.

As a prince, He Ting knew that there must have been immortals who had transformed into gods in the history of the Great Qian Dynasty.

Without the immortals who had transformed into gods, the Wuzhu Nara clan would not have been able to build such a vast Qian Yuan Immortal Dynasty.

"Among the secrets of my Great Qian Dynasty, there must be a method to break through to the Nascent Soul stage. Perhaps the price is extremely high, or perhaps it requires very high talent. In any case, I might give it a try for the realm that my Imperial Grandfather did not break through."

"The Immortal Transformation Realm, that legendary, supreme state—what's a little risk to my life for it!"

He dreamt of it all.

Just then, he sensed the presence of someone outside the main hall.

His voice came from beside the man's ear: "Come in."

A True Person at the peak of the Golden Core stage floated into the main hall and bowed to He Ting, saying, "Greetings, King of Nanzhou."

Yi Ze, the carefree prince of Zhennan Prefecture.

"Yi Ze, didn't you beg me before to reach the Nascent Soul stage?"

"Yes. I would gladly die for the Nascent Soul stage."

Yi Ze said.

He had been stuck at the bottleneck of the Golden Core stage for decades, almost to the point of "madness." His lifelong pursuit was to achieve great strength. In his youth, he risked everything to make meritorious contributions and obtain the title of "Free and Unfettered King," a title that could not be inherited.

Even if the title cannot be inherited, the title of "Carefree Prince" is still very prestigious as one of the two princes of Zhennan Prefecture.

He diligently cultivates himself and, at the age of three hundred, has yet to marry or have children, remaining undistracted by worldly affairs.

However, he was stuck at the bottleneck of the Golden Core stage and could not break through it, which caused him great pain.

He knew that the royal family must have a way to help him break through to the Nascent Soul stage.

But he made many more contributions afterward, yet the royal family refused to help him break through.

Left with no other choice, Yi Ze had to seek help from various people.

The royal family is actually quite "snobbish." If you want to ask someone for something, you have to pay a good price. Otherwise, they will be wary of each other, let alone help others break through to the Nascent Soul stage.

Yi Ze pleaded with many members of the royal family, but to no avail; instead, he received much ridicule in return.

For some unknown reason, he was suddenly summoned by King Heting of Nanzhou.

"Your chance to break through to the Nascent Soul stage is right now!"

He Ting chose Yize because Yize's identity would make it easy for him to help.

The struggle for the throne always involved the descendants of the reigning emperor.

As for other members of the royal family, they are not eligible. This is a customary rule.

Yi Ze's identity poses no threat to He Ting.

Among Heting's own children and grandchildren were those who had reached the Golden Core stage, but he was still wary of them.

Those grandchildren who have reached the Golden Core stage are ambitious. If they break through to the Nascent Soul stage, they might "backfire" on him and compete with him for the throne.

Heting didn't want to help his children and grandchildren break through to the Nascent Soul stage, and he certainly couldn't choose an outsider. If he helped someone outside the royal family break through to the Nascent Soul stage, his reputation would be ruined, and he might be considered a "traitor to the royal family."

After careful consideration, they could only choose a member of the royal family who was not a descendant of the emperor, such as Yi Ze.

He had investigated and found that Yi Ze's bloodline was very distant from that of the current emperor, and there was absolutely no possibility of him vying for the throne.

(End of this chapter)