Clan Cultivation: Starting from Foundation Establishment on Mount Luoxia

The atmosphere inside the "Thick Soil and Golden Cliff" council hall was solemn.

The jade slip containing the photograph Han Mo brought back was played repeatedly, and Li Mutian, Li Xiaoyao, and others looked serious.

"Large settlements of thousands of people...show signs of agriculture and a clear hierarchical division of labor."

"There is a dedicated sacrificial site and a person who appears to be a priest, as well as at least two powerful individuals at the 'leader' level."

Li Tongya quickly analyzed, "This is no longer a scattered group of soldiers, but a primitive tribal civilization that has begun to take shape."

"The power level of its leader and priests... poses a great threat."

Li Xiaoyao stared at the giant axe-wielding native and priest in the image and slowly said:

"The axe-wielder's power was violently displayed, as if he had tempered his body with baleful energy. He was probably following a path of strengthening his physical body, similar to body cultivation, but it was mixed and impure."

"That priest... his aura was obscure, possibly related to totem worship, simple witchcraft, or the use of some special power in this world."

"Neither of them are the orthodox methods of my immortal path, but in this turbid and evil environment, they may not be easy to deal with."

"More than a thousand natives... if they all come out, although they are a motley crew, their numbers are enough to cause trouble."

Li Xiangping gripped the hilt of his sword, but there was no fear in his eyes. Instead, he was eager to try. "Those two leaders are the key. If we can kill or severely injure them, the rest of the troops will not be difficult to defeat."

Li Mutian remained silent, tapping repeatedly on the newly marked settlement location on the map with his finger.

After a long while, he raised his head, his gaze sharp as a knife.

"The discovery of this settlement is both a crisis and an opportunity."

He said in a deep voice, "The crisis is that a local force of this size will inevitably become a competitor to us, and conflict will break out sooner or later."

"The strength of their leader is unknown, and it would be quite risky to start a war rashly."

"The opportunity lies in," he changed the subject, "that such settlements are the only ones that can preserve more information about this world."

"Their priestly traditions, totem worship, and even the places where their settlements were established may be related to ancient remnants and changes in the origin of the world."

"If we can take it down, we might obtain crucial clues in one fell swoop, or even... find some of the core secrets of this world."

"Does Father mean... to hit?"

A glint of light flashed in Li Xiangping's eyes.

"We cannot fight blindly."

Li Xiaoyao interjected, "We need to plan carefully before acting. First, we need to conduct more thorough reconnaissance. Han Mo."

"Yes." Han Mo stepped forward.

"You have rendered a great service this time. I now order you to work with Aunt Liu to select the most skilled clansmen in hiding to explore that settlement again."

"The objective of this operation is to ascertain its specific population, combat force distribution, outpost deployment, and daily activity patterns."

"Pay special attention to the specific abilities and range of activities of the leader and priest, and... whether there are any hidden secrets inside the stone hall."

"Remember, focus on reconnaissance; never expose yourself!"

"Yes, sir!"

Han Mo solemnly accepted the order.

"Secondly, we must intensify our preparations for war."

Li Mutian looked at Li Xiangping and Li Changhu, "All the cultivators in the family, except for those who are required to defend or produce, are engaged in high-intensity combat drills."

"The hunting team has suspended long-range hunting and switched to creating small-scale beast tides within the controlled area to simulate combat by capturing and driving them, and to practice defensive and counter-attack formations."

"The weapon crafting workshop will prioritize repairing and strengthening existing magical artifacts, and rush to produce a batch of consumable talismans and disposable array flags."

He then looked at Li Tongya and the Poisonous Old Man:

"Tongya, you and Dusou study those indigenous materials, especially the bone ornaments and crystals that priests might use, to see if you can find their weaknesses or characteristics."

"At the same time, analyze the surrounding environment of the settlement to see if there are any unusable terrain features or inauspicious energy points."

"Finally," Li Mutian's gaze swept over everyone, "this battle is crucial to whether my Li family can truly gain a foothold in this world and acquire key resources and information."

"Victory is not an option! However, the enemy's situation is unclear, so we cannot act rashly. We will wait for Han Mo to bring back accurate intelligence before discussing whether to fight or strategize, whether to launch a direct attack or outmaneuver them. All of you, go and prepare."

The crowd responded with a resounding roar and departed to carry out their orders. Inside and outside the grotto, a tense and ominous atmosphere, as if a great battle was about to begin, quietly permeated the air.

Li Xiaoyao and Li Mutian stood side by side at the cave entrance, gazing at the hazy sky to the southeast.

"Brother, if we go to war, we'll have to deal with those two leaders separately."

Li Xiaoyao said in a low voice.

"nature."

Li Mutian nodded, a faint crimson-gold aura of Xuanhuang Pass appearing in his eyes. "The one wielding the axe is mine."

"I want to see whether the brute force tempered by this turbid evil is more ferocious or the majesty of my Xuanhuang True Fire is more imposing."

"That priest is cunning. You can use the Xuanhuang Golden Guard to deal with him, which may be able to counter his sinister methods."

"We also need to be wary of whether their settlements have any hidden methods, or... that could lead to even bigger trouble."

Li Xiaoyao still had a thoughtful look in his eyes.

"When soldiers come, generals will meet them."

Li Mutian said with unwavering resolve, "Once you're in this situation, there's no turning back."

"Or, my Li family will clear away this obstacle and use it as a stepping stone to truly penetrate the core of this realm."

"Either... we'll be trapped in a prolonged stalemate, or even be subjugated. This battle is unavoidable!"

Han Mo and Liu Gu's second investigation lasted for several days and brought back crucial intelligence.

"The settlement has more than 1,300 people, about 400 of whom are young and strong. They all carry simple weapons and their auras are mixed, so they are not a threat."

Han Mo marked it precisely on the map: "The real threat is the leader, the priest, and... the area beneath the settlement."

"underground?"

Li Mutian's gaze sharpened.

"That stone hall is not as simple as a place of worship."

Aunt Liu continued, the tracking mouse on her shoulder looking somewhat listless:

"Beneath the stone palace, there are extremely subtle earth vein fluctuations, which are different from the surrounding turbid and evil energy flow. They are more concentrated, as if they are being guided and gathered. The rat dares not approach and can only observe from a distance."

"Those patrolling spearmen were mainly guarding the outer perimeter of the stone temple, rather than the edge of the settlement."

"The priests entered and exited the stone temple three times a day, and each time they would stop in front of the stone pillars outside the temple that were carved with totems, as if they were performing some kind of simple ritual."

"The leader usually patrols the settlement or leads dozens of the strongest warriors out to hunt large monsters."

Hammer added, "The two don't seem to be... entirely on good terms."

"The chieftains prioritized force and the distribution of hunted animals, while the priests controlled the stone temple and rituals, and the people in the settlement had a deeper fear of them."

"Earth ley line nodes... Totem ritual..."

Li Xiaoyao pondered, "The location of this settlement is by no means accidental."

"That priest might be using the earth's ley lines to perform some kind of primitive witchcraft, or to make offerings to something. The leader, on the other hand, represents his secular military power."

Li Mutian made the decision: "The intelligence is sufficient, and the battle tactics are clear. In this battle, the first priority is to decapitate the enemy, and the second is to breach the palace!"

"Xiang Ping, listen to my command!"

"exist!"

"You will lead sixty main force cultivators, supplemented by Scarface Wolf and Iron Bow, carrying the portable array plate of the 'Minor Five Elements Forbidden Array,' to launch a feigned attack on the settlement from the front, drawing the attention of its able-bodied warriors and leader. Don't aim for a quick victory; your primary objective is to entangle them!"

"yes!"

"Your Excellency, obey my command!"

"exist!"

"You, along with Han Mo and Liu Gu, will lead twenty elite troops, using Han Mo's spirit insect and Liu Gu's tracking abilities, to infiltrate the rear of the settlement and head straight for the stone palace!"

"Primary objective: Kill or capture the priest, and locate and destroy the leyline nodes beneath the Stone Palace!"

"I will be there to support you in critical moments and be ready to assist Xiang Ping at any time."

"clear!"

"Changhu, Tongya, and Chijing, the three of you will lead the remaining clansmen to hold the camp, activate all formations, and guard against any unforeseen events!"

"yes!"