Clan Cultivation: Starting from Foundation Establishment on Mount Luoxia

Three days later.

Li Xiaoyao left Li Chijing, Li Tongya, and three hundred cultivators to guard the Li Huo Realm, while he took the rest of his men and rode the Wu-52 type flying boat back to the Luo Xia Realm.

The journey through the void was as silent and long as ever.

Li Xiaoyao sat alone in the cabin, surrounded by shimmering light, and his [Imperial Cloud Heaven] divine power slowly activated.

He took out the fragment of the Purple Mansion Cave Heaven from the Molten Mountain, which floated in his palm, emitting a faint purple aura.

After a cultivator from the Purple Mansion falls, the cave heaven will not immediately dissipate; a portion of its original essence will remain.

This fragment is the essence of Rongyue's cultivation over 1,200 years.

Although it is only a fragment, it contains the laws and primordial power of the Purple Mansion level.

If one can refine and absorb it, it will greatly benefit the nourishment of one's own grotto-heaven and the consolidation of the Purple Mansion realm.

Li Xiaoyao did not rush to refine it, but quietly sensed the fluctuations of the laws contained within it.

Rongyue cultivates the Binghuo Daoist lineage, which, while having some similarities with Hongxia, is ultimately different.

While direct refining can improve one's cultivation level, it may also pollute one's own Daoist essence.

It requires the supernatural power of [Yuxia Tian] to filter and transform it layer by layer in order to extract its essence and discard its dross.

"No rush," he muttered to himself. "I'll practice slowly when I get back."

He collected the fragments and then took out the storage artifact he had taken from Rongyue.

Rongyue was quite wealthy: a pile of mid-grade spirit stones, worth about 300,000.

A few pieces of third-tier fire-attribute materials, barely worth some merit points; a bottle of healing pills, of average quality.

There are also dozens of cultivation manuals recorded on jade slips—the oral tradition of the Binghuo lineage passed down through generations in Yan Valley.

Li Xiaoyao opened the book and skimmed through it.

As expected, it's an old method of inheritance, chaotic and disorganized, relying entirely on the exploration of predecessors. However, some of the insights regarding the combination of fire still offer valuable lessons.

He carefully put away the books, preparing to take them back to the Sunset Realm for slow study.

Finally, his gaze fell on the Tier 3 high-grade lava axe.

This axe is quite powerful, but it doesn't fit with his Hongxia Daoist tradition, so keeping it is useless.

It would be most appropriate to go back to the Immortal Sect's post station and exchange it for merit points or other necessary items.

-

Forty-seven days later.

Sunset Glow Realm, Qixia Peak.

The E-52 type airship slowly landed at the void ferry, and Li Xiaoyao led his men out.

Li Mutian, along with Li Changhu and others, had been waiting at the ferry crossing. Upon seeing him return safely, they couldn't suppress their joy.

"Second brother!"

Li Mutian quickly stepped forward, looked him up and down to make sure he was alright, and then breathed a sigh of relief. "How did the trip go?"

Li Xiaoyao smiled slightly: "Brother, don't worry, everything went smoothly. The Li Huo Realm has been captured, and all three Purple Mansions have been destroyed."

Chijing and Tongya will remain to be garrisoned; development can begin gradually once manpower is in place.

Li Mutian gasped in shock: "Three Purple Mansions?!"

"These are all old methods."

Li Xiaoyao casually remarked, "Having the realm but not understanding the system means you're utterly vulnerable in a real fight."

Li Mutian was silent for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter:

"Good! Good! My Li family finally has a second world!"

Li Changhu, beaming with delight, asked, "Second Uncle, how are the resources in the Li Huo Realm?"

"A top-grade third-tier main spiritual vein, more than three times the size of the Sunset Realm."

Li Xiaoyao said, "Fire-related resources are extremely abundant. You should contact Tongya later and draft a development plan."

Li Changhu nodded repeatedly.

Back at Chengxia Palace, Li Xiaoyao recounted his journey to Li Mutian in detail.

From the invitation from Baichuan to the strategy devised by the Four Immortals, and then to the sudden incursion into the Nanli Volcano Cluster, the interception by the Rongyue Mountain, and the encirclement and slaying of Chixiao and Chilian by the main peak—every detail is explained clearly.

Li Mutian was terrified as he listened, especially when he heard about Rongyue's interception; his expression changed several times.

"Second brother, you're taking too much of a risk."

He said in a deep voice, "One against one, if that Rongyue isn't using the old method, if he has some trump card..."

"Don't worry, brother."

Li Xiaoyao interrupted him, "I know what I'm doing. Besides, the Flowing Cloud Silk given to me by Senior Canxia is a high-grade fourth-order item, enough to crush any early-stage Purple Mansion cultivator."

Unless the opponent has a mid-stage Purple Mansion cultivation level, they cannot harm me.

Li Mutian sighed, knowing he couldn't dissuade him, and could only say, "Next time something like this happens, be sure to bring more people."

Li Xiaoyao nodded in agreement and then spoke about the distribution of spoils and the subsequent arrangements for the Li Huo Realm.

Upon hearing that Li Xiaoyao had secured key power in the Li Huo Realm, a glint flashed in Li Mutian's eyes: "Does this mean that the Li Huo Realm will henceforth be the private property of my Li family?"

"That's right," Li Xiaoyao said. "According to the laws of the Immortal Sect, the four of us share this realm. However, I will use my good deeds and resources to pay them their due share in exchange for the main authority."

Of all the resources produced in this world in the future, 80% will belong to my Li family, and 20% will be given to my three fellow cultivators.

Li Mutian slapped his thigh loudly: "Good! Good! My Li family finally has a second world!"

He paused, then said, "Are there enough people to stay in Chijing and Tongya? Should we send some more?"

Li Xiaoyao shook his head: "Not for now. Three hundred cultivators are enough to stabilize the situation."

Once the protective array around Tongya is repaired and the people of Chijing have been initially won over, more troops will be gradually dispatched.

The development of this area is not something that can be accomplished overnight; it cannot be rushed.

Li Mutian nodded, then remembered something else: "By the way, during the years you were in seclusion, the Immortal Sect sent a message."

Master Xiting sent a message saying that Senior Changqing's remains have been interred in the Immortal Sect's Martyrs' Cemetery, and the sect will hold a formal memorial service on a chosen date. You will be invited to attend.

Li Xiaoyao remained silent for a moment, then slowly nodded.

"I see."

Three days later.

Behind Chengxia Hall, in a secluded meditation room.

Li Xiaoyao sat cross-legged, his body surrounded by shimmering light. The crimson law chain that had been binding him for so long had now dimmed to the point of being almost transparent.

The suppression of the Heavenly Dao in the Li Huo Realm gradually dissipated after he left that world, and now only a trace remains.

He did not rush to dispel it, but let the traces dissolve on their own.

With a slight thought, the fragment of the Purple Mansion Cave Heaven from Rongyue appeared in his palm.

He took a deep breath, and activated the [Imperial Cloud Heaven] divine power at full power. His body shone brightly with radiant light, like a rising sun.

He slowly absorbed the fragment of the Purple Mansion into his dantian, placing it alongside his own inner world.

The moment the fragment entered his body, a scorching and violent fiery law surged forth, attempting to erode his foundation.

Li Xiaoyao was prepared, and the Immortal Foundation of [Yexiaowei] trembled violently!

The ethereal glow, like a curtain hanging from the sky, appeared out of thin air, enveloping, filtering, and transforming the raging Fire Law layer by layer.

Like refining gold in a raging fire, it removes the dross and retains the essence.

Time passed slowly.

After an unknown amount of time, the fragment of the Purple Mansion finally merged completely into his cave.

A pure primordial power flowed through his body, nourishing his dantian, meridians, and soul—his initial Purple Mansion realm had solidified by another three-tenths.

Li Xiaoyao opened his eyes, his gaze as radiant as the sunset, fleeting in an instant.

He raised his hand, and a ray of light shot out from his fingertips, even more refined than before he went into seclusion.

"Forty-five percent," he muttered to himself, a slight smile playing on his lips.

The first divine power, [Royal Heaven of Clouds], is one step closer to perfection.

……

The day we left the pass coincided with the sunset at Luoxiajie.

The sky was ablaze with rosy clouds, a blend of crimson and purple, spreading out in layers like ink splashed by a celestial being.

Li Xiaoyao stood on the cloud platform outside Chengxia Palace, gazing at the sky full of rosy clouds, feeling a sense of peace in his heart.

The Purple Mansion Mission Token inside his sleeve suddenly felt slightly warm.

He took it out to check—it was a message from Master Baichuan:

"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Shangyuan. I have returned to my post. This trip was very fruitful. Thank you for your help."

A year later, we will reunite at Lihuo to discuss the long-term future.

I have something else to tell you: I recently saw a new message on the Immortal Sect's mission order.

Regarding the follow-up investigation into the boundary ruins deep within the desolate corridor—the Immortal Sect has dispatched True Monarch-level experts to conduct an in-depth investigation.

The specifics are still unclear, but it is said that... something has been discovered. Fellow Daoist, if you are interested, you may investigate for yourself.

Li Xiaoyao raised an eyebrow and immediately opened the mission token to retrieve the message.

As expected, it's a top-tier (A-level) information, encrypted and only accessible to outer sect elders.

He clicked on it, and the message appeared:

"Follow-up Investigation Report on the Unnamed Boundary Ruins (Original Number: Jiazi-743) in the Desolate Ruins Corridor (First Draft)"

"Investigator: Inner Sect True Lord 'Pingyu Qingxu True Lord', early stage of Golden Core."

"Investigation results: It has been confirmed that the 'Heart of the Demonic Ruins' exists deep within the core of the Realm Ruins, and its status is 'in the process of being conceived'."

The surrounding seal remnants have been identified as a variant of the ancient "Yin Yang Great Five Elements Ancient Seal," which has been completely shattered.

Remnants of a monitoring array, suspected to have been set up by humans, were discovered around the Heart of the Demon Ruins, suggesting that an unknown force has been monitoring this object for a long time.

This realm has now been designated as a "top-level high-risk restricted area," and no cultivator at the Purple Mansion level or below is allowed to enter without authorization.

The follow-up investigation will be handled by an inner sect True Monarch level expert.

Li Xiaoyao stared at the words for a long time without saying a word.

"Someone is... waiting for it to ripen."

The words of the late senior, Changqing, echoed in my ears once again.

He put away the token and looked up at the fading sunset on the horizon.