Family Cultivation: Rise of the Wilderness

Chapter 463 Returning Home
The cacophony of sounds entered my ears like a chaotic current of electricity.

Li Xiangming's head felt as heavy as if it were filled with lead. He tried hard to open his eyes, but to no avail.

Gradually, the surrounding sounds faded away.

Just when he thought he was about to sink into darkness again, a wet touch gently touched his lips, and warm liquid flowed into his mouth from the corner of his lips.

Li Xiangming's body was suddenly filled with a strong desire, and he instinctively began to suck until he was choked and coughed violently, causing his whole body to tremble.

"Slow down, slow down!"

As the voice called out, Li Xiangming slowly opened his eyes, his vision still blurry.

After a while, his consciousness gradually cleared, and he found himself lying on a familiar bed. The room was filled with a faint medicinal fragrance, and the person taking care of him was none other than Cao Yanjun.

"Prolongata."

Li Xiangming shook his head, trying to struggle to get up.

Cao Yanjun immediately stopped him, reminding him, "Eleventh Uncle said that your body has not fully recovered and you should not move around casually."

"Am I home?"

Li Xiangming looked around.

"Yes, Ji Hu brought you back."

Cao Yanjun replied, her voice unusually gentle.

Li Xiangming fell silent for a moment. He had been preparing for a long time in Puyin Mountain, planning how to lay out and ambush to better resist the beast tide, calculating the strength of this demon-hunting group and that demon-hunting group, and worrying about the loopholes in this defense zone and that defense line.

In the end, it was he who was the first to falter.

They really overestimated themselves!

Li Xiangming gave a bitter smile.

After dealing with three Bone Fusion demon cultivators in succession at Maojing Mine, and even slaying the Burning Sky Violent Ape in front of hundreds of demon hunters, he developed a distorted perception of his own strength, thinking that even if the White Feather Crane Demon was a mid-stage Bone Fusion demon cultivator, so what?

Is it as strong as the Heaven-Burning Violent Ape?

But he forgot that Li Xiangren and Li Xiangyu were the biggest contributors to defeating the Burning Sky Violent Ape.

In particular, Li Xiangren's Ling Shu Golden Light Array consumed the demonic power of the Burning Sky Violent Ape to the greatest extent, which gave him the opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

Recalling this scene, Li Xiangming gently clenched his fist.

He had to admit that even though the evil green robe and the Enlightenment Spring had allowed him to catch up with Li Xiangren and Li Xiangyu in terms of cultivation, he, who had been unknown since childhood, had not accumulated enough foundation.

As a result, his current combat strength is still quite different from that of a true prodigy.

Fortunately, the legacy left by Fairy Green Cloud is not bad.

If he had mastered the Six Yin Divine Finger technique for over ten years, he wouldn't have been in such a sorry state in front of the White Feather Crane Demon.

With a sigh of relief, Li Xiangming looked up at Cao Yanjun.

At this moment, Cao Yanjun was looking at him intently, her eyes filled with concern and exhaustion.

Her hair was slightly disheveled, with a few stray strands falling across her forehead, indicating that she had been waiting there for quite some time.

"Thanks a lot."

Li Xiangming stretched out his palm and held the other person's two small hands tightly in his palm.

Cao Yanjun immediately felt aggrieved and complained, "In my opinion, you might as well take away my Fish and Dragon Wall Shadow as well, so that I won't have any peace in the future."

Upon hearing this, Li Xiangming subconsciously touched the jade pendant around his neck.

This thing was released on its own under the bombardment of the White Feather Crane Demon's demonic power, protecting him once again.

The reason he was so badly injured, even to the point of falling into a coma, was actually the damage caused by the backlash from the failure of Hao Ri Jin Tong.

"I will definitely be more careful in the future and won't make you worry."

Li Xiangming patted Cao Yanjun's arm and assured him.

The Fish-Dragon Wall Shadow was originally one entity. Every time he used this magical artifact, Cao Yanjun could sense it and knew that he was facing a life-or-death crisis.

It would be a lie to say I'm not worried.

The two had a heart-to-heart talk, but Li Xiangming was still concerned about the battle at Jinlinpo.

Although he knew that by the time Li Jihu sent him back to Dangui Mountain and he woke up, the battle at Jinlinpo should have been over, he still asked, "Has the beast tide receded?"

"I knew you were going to ask that."

As Cao Yanjun spoke, he took out a jade pendant from his storage bag.

Just as Li Xiangming was about to take it, Cao Yanjun dodged it, saying, "You can't use your divine sense right now, so let me read it to you instead."

"Uncle Qianshi commanded effectively, driving the beast tide down Jinlin Slope that very day. The beast tide was already showing signs of collapse when Xiang Feng and Xiang Ting from Monkey Valley arrived with reinforcements. Oh, and there were also disciples from Green Cloud Cave. Exhausted and unable to withstand the pressure, the beast tide finally collapsed and suffered a crushing defeat. This happened seven days ago. Currently, Xiang Feng is in charge of the overall situation at Jinlin Slope, while Uncle Qianshi has led the main force back to Monkey Valley."

Upon hearing that the beast tide had been defeated and that no other Bone-Melting Demon Cultivators had attacked Golden Scale Slope, Li Xiangming breathed a sigh of relief.

What he feared most was that the morale of the monks guarding the slope would plummet due to his unconsciousness, allowing the beast tide to sweep over them and leave them no chance to escape.

Now that the cultivators from Jinlinpo and Monkey Valley have joined forces to defeat the beast tide, this is undoubtedly the best outcome.

Cao Yanjun continued, "Xiang Feng said that almost all the monsters in the area from Monkey Valley to Dai Mountain were swept away by the beast tide and taken to Golden Scale Slope. This time, the beast tide was defeated, and even the trade route to Dai Mountain is much smoother. He believes that the monsters in the direction of Dai Mountain are no longer a concern, while the monsters in the direction of Puyin Mountain are being closely monitored by the Mad Lion and Vicious Dog hunting teams, and there has been no movement so far. Therefore, Xiang Feng told you to stay home and recuperate."

After a moment's thought, Li Xiangming asked, "Who is currently in charge of the Demon Suppression Camp?"

"Xiang Yu will serve as the commander, and Qian Shishu and Xiang Feng will serve as the deputy commanders respectively."

Cao Yanjun said this.

"Is that so?"

Li Xiangming sighed inwardly. From the fact that Master Shen's name did not appear in Cao Yanjun's description of the Monkey Valley reinforcements, he knew that this strange monk had been squeezed out of the core power sphere of the Demon Suppression Camp.

The position of deputy commander that he had promised also turned out to be a pipe dream.

I wonder if Master Shen will feel dissatisfied with this?

But he's too far away to help right now!

Cao Yanjun noticed that Li Xiangming was preoccupied, so she immediately held his hand tightly and advised him, "Don't overthink it. You're a patient right now, so taking care of yourself is the most important thing."

"Ah."

Li Xiangming nodded.

The two stared at each other silently for a long time.

Suddenly, Cao Yanjun blushed and turned her body slightly.

Li Xiangming smiled and changed the subject, saying, "My eleventh uncle gave me some medicine, and I feel much better than I expected."

"My eleventh uncle made a lot of ointments and liquids, which I don't really understand."

After a moment's recollection, Cao Yanjun quickly replied, "But the fact that your injuries stabilized so quickly must be because you took Ganlu Pills."

"Nanlu Pills?"

Li Xiangming was surprised.

Among the second-tier healing pills, the Ice Vein Pill and the Yellow Dragon Pill are the most famous.

The former focuses on protecting the heart meridian; as long as one doesn't die, taking this stuff can keep them alive.

The latter possesses powerful medicinal properties, easily healing most internal and external injuries, making it a kind of all-purpose elixir.

However, regardless of the type, the efficiency of repairing injuries is not fast. After all, they are not specific pills for any particular injury. They are only popular in the cultivation world because of their wide applicability.

Ganlu pills are different.

It was originally created to repair injuries caused by the backlash of magic, but its effectiveness against other injuries is mediocre.

This has resulted in a very narrow market for Ganlu Pills, making them a niche elixir. Ordinary cultivators may never have the chance to see one in their entire lives.

The Li family, as a family of cultivators, doesn't shy away from using niche elixirs. But who can guarantee that their family members won't encounter unexpected situations?
Therefore, one of the principles of the Li family's stockpiling of elixirs was to be widespread.

Whether it's the common fasting pills or the rare nectar pills, the Li family strives to have everything they need, just in case.

However, there is an even higher principle above this one: cost-effectiveness.

Although the Dew Pill is a good thing, it is expensive, with a starting bid of five hundred spirit stones at the auction house—for just one pill.

For the same price, you can already buy the more crucial Ice Vein Pill.

Li Qianhe, who was in charge of Guangfengtang, had secretly revealed to Li Xiangming the types of pills in the warehouse, none of which were Ganlu Pills, and the Li family had never planned to purchase Ganlu Pills. "It was a gift from Min Ning."

After Cao Yanjun finished speaking, his expression turned somewhat gloomy.

"Min Ning?"

Li Xiangming was even more surprised: "She's in Danggui Mountain?"

"Yes, she's been living here for over a month, and her family doesn't want her to leave."

Cao Yanjun said calmly, his voice revealing neither joy nor dislike.

However, Li Xiangming knew she was definitely not happy.

Because Cao Yanjun and Ye Yun had a good relationship, Min Ning's visit to Danggui Mountain was not for fun, but for Li Xiangren.

Ye Yun was probably quite unhappy about this. And Cao Yanjun certainly wouldn't give Min Ning a pleasant look.
However, in order to heal his wounds, Cao Yanjun accepted the Ganlu Pill given to him by Min Ning. At this moment, he was probably in great pain, feeling sorry for Ye Yun.

For a moment, Li Xiangming didn't know what to say.

No wonder Lee Sang-in's expression was somewhat strange when he mentioned Xuanli Zhenren during his appearance at the Maojing Mine.

It turns out that someone's granddaughter had come all the way to chase after her husband.

Although Min Ning was a bit unruly, her looks and temperament were top-notch, no less than Ye Yun's. Her older brother, on the other hand, was quite dashing.

After coughing twice, Li Xiangming asked in a low voice, "Is my older brother home?"

Cao Yanjun replied, "I just entered the Tihu Cave to cultivate half a month ago."

What is his attitude towards Min Ning?

Li Xiangming continued to ask.

Cao Yanjun rolled her eyes at him: "If your older brother had shown even the slightest sign of liking Min Ning, Sister Ye would have left long ago."

Li Xiangming remained silent.

Cao Yanjun still doesn't understand Li Xiangren enough.

His elder brother appears gentle and approachable, and is accustomed to listening to the opinions of others, especially clansmen, but this is merely to showcase his image and demeanor as the eldest brother of the Xiang generation.

In fact, Lee Sang-in is very opinionated, or rather stubborn, and he never changes his mind once he has made up his mind.

Back when Li Xiangren was stationed at the Pushui camp with Li Huinan, he disobeyed orders and refused to withdraw from the battlefield. Instead, he detonated the talismanic artifact in his hand and fought head-on against the bone-melting demon cultivator.

Although this battle brought him fame and the favor of the Wuliang Sword Sect, laying the foundation for his future path, Li Xiangren had experienced many other risky events.

Li Xiangming knew of events such as attacking the Mangjiao stronghold alone and engaging in a Foundation Establishment battle with the Ouyang family in the Green Cloud Cave.

Compared to Li Xiangren, Li Xiangming's forceful intervention in the conflict between the Chen family of Baolong Valley and the Huang family of Jinqianling was hardly outrageous.

As the saying goes, having many lice makes you less itchy.

Li Xiangren could completely disregard his family's opinions. With his current cultivation level and status, neither the Qian generation nor the Cheng generation could persuade him otherwise.

Even if his family supports Min Ning's actions, why should he care?

However, Li Xiangren hid in the Daihu Cave, leaving Ye Yun and Min Ning staring at each other blankly.

This can only mean one thing: Li Xiangren is in turmoil, doesn't know how to face Min Ning, and also feels guilty towards Ye Yun.

It is most difficult to accept the kindness of a beautiful woman.

This is not just a casual remark!

Li Xiangren stayed at Xinyuan Peak to recuperate from his injuries for more than half a year, so it's impossible that he wasn't affected by the allure of the pleasure quarters.

From the family's perspective, Lee Sang-myung hopes that Lee Sang-in and Min-nyeong will get married.

In this way, the Li family directly gained a marriage partner at the Golden Core level, the significance of which is self-evident.

However, from a personal emotional perspective, Li Xiangming is more inclined towards Ye Yun because Ye Yun played the role of matchmaker in his marriage with Cao Yanjun, and he has always felt indebted to her.

Moreover, Ye Yun and Li Xiangren already have two children, so he naturally doesn't want his nephew and niece to have an unhappy family.

The question is, can Ye Yun, all alone, compete with Min Ning?
Difficult!

As for the two getting along harmoniously, that's impossible.

Even in the cultivation world, status and reputation matter.

Min Ning is the granddaughter of Xuanli Zhenren. For the sake of the reputation of both the Min family and the Li family, it is impossible for her to become a concubine.

Ye Yun also has her own family and is the legitimate daughter of the main branch of the family.

Making her a concubine would undoubtedly be a humiliation.

Ye Yun is not a person without pride; she cannot accept this outcome. In fact, at this point, she has probably already been hurt.

After thinking for a moment, Li Xiangming rubbed his temples, looking troubled, and said, "Yanjun, I have some spirit stones here. Give 600 to Min Ning later."

Halfway through his sentence, Li Xiangming shook his head again: "Never mind, let's wait a bit."

Min Ning is not short of spirit stones. Using spirit stones to "buy back" the Dew Pill will not make up for the favor, but will instead offend the other party.

Cao Yanjun, unaware of Li Xiangming's deeper meaning, comforted him, "Brother will handle these matters. Don't worry about it. Just rest well."

That being said
Li Xiangming still felt vaguely uneasy.

If Lee Sang-sung were in the same situation as Lee Sang-in, he would unconditionally support Lee Sang-sung's personal ideas.

On the one hand, he liked this cousin and wanted to help him achieve his goal; on the other hand, Li Xiangcheng's marriage was not actually that important to the Li family.

No matter who he hurts or is hurt in relationships, it will not affect the development of the Li family.

Li Xiangren is quite different. His marriage is even more important than the Li family's current war against the beast tide in Monkey Valley, but few people care about this.
-
The next day.

Li Xiangming's injuries have improved again.

People came to visit him in an endless stream.

Min Ning was among them.

Min Ning was still the same as always, energetic and decisive, but her tone of voice had become much gentler. When she visited Li Xiangming, she even brought him a bowl of bird's nest soup that was radiating a faint spiritual energy.

Li Xiangming felt somewhat helpless; he naturally understood Min Ning's thoughts.

However, being bribed like this on his second day of waking up still left him feeling bewildered.

How much benefit have the other tribesmen received in the past month or so?

No wonder her family supports Min Ning.

However, Min Ning was as willful as he was, but he wasn't willful towards Li Xiangming. With Xuanli Zhenren as his backer, Li Xiangming naturally wouldn't deliberately offend him.

So he accepted the bird's nest soup, drank it all, and chatted and laughed with them.

Soon, the visitors gradually dispersed.

A short, middle-aged man appeared at the edge of the crowd.

"Homeowner?"

Li Xiangming was surprised and quickly tried to get up.

Li Qianxiong walked over and waved his hand, saying, "Just lie down, no need for formalities."

"I'm sorry to trouble you, Master."

Li Xiangming was being polite.

Li Qianxiong sized up Li Xiangming and frowned slightly: "Coming back like this makes it seem like the family doesn't care about you."

Li Xiangming's heart stirred slightly, and he quickly understood Li Qianxiong's meaning.

Both were fighting against the White Feather Crane Demon. Li Xiangyu suffered only minor injuries and insisted on staying at the front line of Jinlinpo, while he was carried back by his clansmen.

His family is worried that he might have some strange ideas.

"It's because Xiangming is not skilled enough."

Li Xiangming looked up and sighed.

Seeing this, Li Qianxiong remained silent for a moment before slowly saying, "The runes on Xiangyu's body are priceless, and you are not suited to the family's fire magic, so we can only ask you to make do. This time, the family has invited Master Guan from the Hundred Weapons Hall to help you repair the Weeping Spirit Desolate Sky Rope. You can also ask him to make an inner armor for you, and the materials and expenses will be reimbursed by the family."

(End of this chapter)