Family Cultivation: Rise of the Wilderness

Chapter 248 Li Chengsu

In the southeast of Danggui Mountain, a group of several people traveled through the vast miasma.

The leader, dressed in a flowing green robe, was none other than Li Xiangming.

Behind him, in order, were Granny Lai, Taoist Xie, Zhang Can, the Flower Monk, and the Corpse Driver.

Unlike the relaxed and carefree Li Xiangming, the five of them were newcomers to this unfamiliar environment. They all had solemn expressions and were especially wary of the miasma around them.

These miasmas contain potent toxins, causing mild symptoms like weakness and numbness, or severe symptoms like unconsciousness; even cultivators are not immune.

Fortunately, all of them were at the ninth level of Qi Refining and possessed their own unique skills. Under the protection of their magical powers, they were not severely harmed.

However, as their magical power gradually diminished, the group began to feel restless.

And this was before even doing anything; just traveling once had caused him to lose 30% of his magical power.

What would happen if something went wrong?

Li Xiangming noticed the suspicious looks from the people behind him and snorted, "If you stay here, this miasma will be a natural barrier protecting you."

Everyone fell silent after hearing this.

Only Xie Daoren chuckled dryly and said, "I wonder, Fellow Daoist Li, how much longer do we need to walk?"

"Just go through here."

Li Xiangming replied calmly.

Just as he finished speaking, a vast swamp came into view.

In the swamp, mist rises, just like the miasma from before, as if it were the unique breath of this land.

Li Xiangming didn't explain much, and lightly flew over the swamp, leaving the others looking at each other in bewilderment.

"What should we do? Should we go with them?"

Master Xie frowned and couldn't help but ask a question.

"It's all here."

Grandma Lai replied in a hoarse voice that she had dealt with Li Xiangming in Daishan and trusted him more.

As Grandma Lai slowly disappeared into the mist, the others looked left and right, still unable to make up their minds.

After a while, Zhang Can cursed under his breath and followed.

From then on, the remaining three people no longer hesitated and set off.

In the heart of the swamp, lies a solitary island.

However, according to the Li family's investigation, Jiming Mountain was originally a majestic mountain, but for some reason, most of it is now submerged in swamps.

Therefore, the island itself is also part of Jiming Mountain.

The mountain peaks visible to the naked eye on the island are the former summits of Jiming Mountain.

This peak soars into the clouds, even more majestic than Tailai Peak. Unfortunately, its summit is shrouded in mist year-round, while the area below its waist is hidden in the miasma of swamps, remaining unknown to most.

Another spectacular sight at Jiming Mountain is the blooming of flowers. They are colorful, uniquely shaped, and some even glow at night, like twinkling stars, a truly breathtaking sight.

Li Xiangming was also visiting Jiming Mountain for the first time, and he looked on with great curiosity.

He picked a few pale yellow flower buds and examined them closely. He found that no matter how he looked at them, they were just ordinary plants with no spiritual power whatsoever.

Yet, they bloom exceptionally brightly amidst the endless poisonous miasma.

After waiting for a while, Grandma Lai and the other four finally gathered together.

Li Xiangming glanced at them, already having a plan in mind.

Grandma Lai paid a real price for helping the Li family cover up the Soul Suppressing Sect's investigation, which is why she was most eager to exchange for the Chicken Cry Mountain Spirit Pool and followed along without hesitation.

Once she obtains the Spirit Pool, she will undoubtedly be the one who will be most reluctant to part with it.

In addition, she had the most dealings with the Li family, so they trusted her more, and she was also a rare fortune teller.

Li Xiangming has identified her as the most worthwhile person to win over.

As for Zhang Can, he is brave, strong, and decisive.

It's not surprising that they were able to catch up second.

However, he was also the one who had coveted Xiaolan Valley the most in the past.

After being forced to give up Xiaolan Valley, their prejudice against Li Xiangming was the strongest among the five.

Nevertheless, Li Xiangming still felt he was worth winning over. Simply put, he was rather simple-minded and easily manipulated if given enough benefits.

The third person to follow was someone Li Xiangming hadn't expected—a corpse driver.

This person is quite mysterious, and always stays by the side of the Flower Monk, never interacting with me directly.

Therefore, Li Xiangming often overlooked him.

It now seems that the corpse-drivers also had their own ideas.

In addition, he was a rare puppeteer, so Li Xiangming also wanted to win him over.

The last to arrive were the Flower Monk and the Taoist Master Xie, who had been loitering around in front of him quite a bit.

Among them, the Flower Monk mediated the matter of Xiaolan Valley in front of him.

However, today, when they came to Jiming Mountain, they hesitated, fearing that Li Xiangming would harm them.

Li Xiangming had no intention of continuing to deal with such fickle people.

In any case, there must be people who are won over, and there must also be people who are neglected, in accordance with the principles of governance.

Putting aside his thoughts, Li Xiangming took out a talisman in front of the five people and lit it with his magic power.

A moment later, a crane's cry rang out.

Everyone looked up and saw an old man with white hair gracefully descend from the crane's back.

Li Xiangming immediately stepped forward and bowed, saying, "This junior greets Fifth Uncle!"

The old man waved his hand, and the crane flew away immediately. Only then did he look Li Xiangming over and sigh, "You must be Xiangming, right? You're quite the young man!"

"I dare not accept such praise from Fifth Uncle. Fifth Uncle made outstanding contributions on the Nanbin battlefield in the past, and I admire him greatly."

Li Xiangming's expression was extremely respectful. The person in front of him was no ordinary person; he was Li Huinan's biological son and another successor of the Flying Flame Wheel.

He was also the most outstanding genius of the Li family's generation, and was hailed as the Li family's prodigy.

However, Li Chengsu's path of cultivation was extremely bumpy.

First, when he was young, he was implicated in a magical duel between Li Huinan and others, and was poisoned by cold, which nearly cost him his life.

Fortunately, Li Chengsu was exceptionally talented and mastered the Flying Flame Wheel technique in just two years, thus curing the cold poison.

Since then, Li Chengsu has continuously cultivated the Flying Flame Wheel, and his strength far surpasses that of his peers Li Chengkang and Li Chenggeng.

Seeing this, Li Huinan and the other Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Hui generation valued Li Chengsu even more, giving him all the good things they could.

At the young age of twenty, Li Chengsu had already reached the eighth level of Qi Refining, making him a well-known figure among the younger generation of cultivators in Hao County at that time.

Unfortunately, their good fortune didn't last long. Due to Hengyue Sect's deliberate attempts to win them over, the Li family found themselves in dire straits.

The local sects in Hao County, fearing the rise of the Li family and their replacement, have been constantly suppressing the Li family.

As one of the Li family's most promising talents, Li Chengsu was naturally the one who received special care.

In an accident, Li Chengsu ingested a poisonous pill, which severely damaged his dantian. His cultivation level regressed to the third level of Qi Refining, and he was removed from the ranks of geniuses, becoming unknown.

It wasn't until the Li family joined the Wuliang Sword Sect in their campaign against the Nanbin Demon Clan that Li Chengsu's figure reappeared in the public eye.

After thirty years of recuperation and cultivation, Li Chengsu returned to the eighth level of Qi Refining. With his outstanding combat awareness and the power of the Flying Flame Wheel, he made great contributions to the Li family on the Pushui battlefield.

At that time, he, a cultivator at the eighth level of Qi Refining, had killed no fewer than three hundred monsters.

Unfortunately, Li Chengkang and Li Chenggeng both successfully established their foundations, and even Li Qianxiong was active on the battlefield and was granted a foundation-building pill, thus successfully establishing his foundation.

Only Li Chengsu, who was extremely powerful, remained silent.

The reason for this is the harm caused by that poisonous pill from back then.

Despite the fact that Li Chengsu's injuries have healed and his cultivation has gradually reached the ninth level of Qi Refining.

However, Li Chengsu's foundation was already damaged, and even taking the Foundation Building Pill would be of no use.

After several unsuccessful attempts to reach the Foundation Establishment stage, Li Chengsu became disheartened and gave up on the idea.

After the Li family moved to Pu County, he was tasked with exploring the surrounding area.

Among them, the lapis lazuli veins north of Danggui Mountain were found by him.

The same applies to Jiming Mountain.

(End of this chapter)