Clan Cultivation: Starting from Foundation Establishment on Mount Luoxia

After that glimpse of the outer perimeter of the sanctuary, Xiao Chulan seemed truly satisfied.

Back at Hou Tu Jin Ya, he made no further requests, only instructing Li Daoyun to expedite the final document preparation.

On the night before their departure, Xiao Chulan summoned Li Mutian and Li Xiaoyao to her side again.

This time, no formation was activated; instead, a pot of coarse tea was placed in the small pavilion in the guest courtyard.

"Gentlemen," Xiao Chulan said, taking a sip of tea, her tone as casual as if she were chatting with someone.

"I apologize for the inconvenience these past few days. Tomorrow morning, Daoyun and I will return to the inn, and then head back to report to the sect."

Li Mutian cupped his hands in greeting: "Steward, you've worked hard. I hope you will give me your due evaluation this time..."

"Hey," Xiao Chulan waved her hand to interrupt him, "I know how to say it."

"Your Li family has done a good job, especially in settling ordinary people in such a godforsaken place. The lords in the sect will appreciate that."

He put down his teacup, tapped his fingers lightly on the stone table, and changed the subject:

"However, there are some things I need to remind you both of."

Li Xiaoyao immediately sat up straighter: "Please speak, sir."

"When I go back this time, I will report what needs to be reported."

Xiao Chulan looked at the two of them.

"Once the assessment is passed, according to the procedure, the Immortal Sect's General Affairs Hall will post some basic information about your 'C-749' (which has been processed, of course) and mark it as 'Preliminary safety, with development value'."

"At that time, there will be one more item on the pioneering task list."

Li Mutian frowned slightly: "Does Your Excellency mean...?"

"That means," Xiao Chulan smiled.

"It won't be long, maybe six months, maybe a year, before new independent cultivation teams, or other Foundation Establishment families that have received the 'Pioneering Talisman,' come running after them."

"The immortal sects are eager to have more people to develop this demi-plane as soon as possible."

Li Xiaoyao clicked his tongue:

"Wow, are they trying to flood our 'starter village' with new players? And in competitive mode?"

"Competition? Not really."

Xiao Chulan was amused by his statement.

"The Immortal Sect has rules. You were the first to establish yourselves, so you enjoy certain priority rights and initial territory recognition."

"But newcomers will inevitably carve out a piece of land to make a fuss. Resources are limited, and with more people, friction is unavoidable."

He leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice: "So, I'll give you two some honest advice—first come, first served."

"While no one else is here yet, quickly claim the land that needs to be claimed; quickly mark the mines that need to be occupied; and sweep away the tough nuts to crack as soon as possible."

"Once others arrive, if you want to make a move, you'll have to follow the 'first come, first served' rule, and you might even have to 'negotiate' it."

Li Mutian and Li Xiaoyao exchanged a glance, both understanding the weight of those words.

This is a reminder to them to seize the window of opportunity and consolidate and expand their advantages.

"Thank you for your guidance, sir!"

Li Mutian expressed his sincere gratitude.

"Don't thank me yet."

Xiao Chulan waved her hand and tossed out another sweet date.

"Of course, as 'pioneers,' you will receive additional rewards from the sect once you pass the evaluation."

"Spirit stones, magical artifacts, cultivation techniques exchange rights, and possibly even long-term usage rights to your flying boat... In short, you won't be working for nothing."

"This also sets an example for those who come after: work hard for the Immortal Sect, and you'll reap the rewards."

He stood up and dusted off non-existent dust:

"Alright, that's all I needed to say. We'll leave first thing tomorrow morning, no need to see us off. We... perhaps we'll meet again someday."

Xiao Chulan kept her word. The next day, just as dawn broke, she led Li Daoyun and eight disciples onto the cyan flying boat.

They left Houtu Jinya quietly, without even letting Li Mutian and the others hold any farewell ceremony.

The person left, but the words they left behind kept the entire Li family extremely busy.

"Brother, did you understand what Deacon Xiao meant by that?"

Li Xiaoyao stroked his chin. "'First come, first served,' this is a call for us to quickly seize territory!"

Li Mutian stood on the edge of the cliff, looking northwest:

"Good. The situation at the Sanctuary is complicated; let's leave it for now."

"But other directions, especially the east, south, and north."

"Those mining sites, suspected spiritual veins, and indigenous tribes that were temporarily put on hold due to manpower shortages... must be cleared as quickly as possible."

"Xiang Ping!"

He turned around and called out.

"Father!"

Li Xiangping strode over.

"From today onwards, the combat teams will be divided into two groups, taking turns to attack. Centered on Thick Earth Golden Cliff, they will radiate outwards for six hundred li... no, eight hundred li!"

"When encountering indigenous tribes, drive them away if possible, capture them if possible, and annihilate those who resist! If you discover mineral deposits or spiritual plants, mark them immediately and leave manpower to establish temporary outposts!"

"yes!"

"Tongya!"

"Father."

"You will lead the exploration team to cooperate with Xiang Ping's operations. The focus will be on geological surveys to find potential medium-sized or larger spiritual veins."

"Also, hurry up and study those formations brought back from the post station."

"Let's see if there's a way to set up a more efficient and wider-coverage warning array. Our territory has expanded, so we need to keep an eye on it."

"I understand!"

"Changhu, logistical support must keep up! Replenish lost elixirs and magical artifacts promptly. Integrate newly captured locals into production teams as soon as possible..."

The entire Li family, like a tightly wound machine, suddenly accelerated its operation.

Li Xiaoyao was not idle either. On one hand, he continued to nurture and refine his natal magic weapon, "Four Seasons Mirror," and pondered how to open up subsequent mirror layers.

On the other hand, he pulled Li Tongya aside and combined the research notes on the "Strange Fiend" with the few words revealed by Xiao Chulan.

In an attempt to gain a deeper understanding of the nature of this turbid and malevolent world, we seek more efficient methods for its transformation and utilization.

Time flies by in a flurry of activity. In the blink of an eye, almost a year has passed since Xiao Chulan left.

The changes in Houtu Jinya are nothing short of earth-shaking.

Centered on the stronghold, the sporadic indigenous threats within a radius of 800 li have been largely eliminated, and more than a dozen resource points and outposts of varying sizes have been established.

Two newly discovered small spiritual veins (one water and one soil) were successfully guided and, in conjunction with the improved "Five Elements Purification Array," hundreds of acres of new high-quality spiritual fields were created.

The family warehouse was piled high with various ores and medicinal herbs, and they even began to systematically cultivate some unique evil-attribute spiritual plants.

After several fierce battles, Li Xiangping's cultivation level steadily improved to the eighth level of Qi Refining, and his perception of "Molten Gold Essence" became increasingly clear.

Li Chijing successfully broke through to the seventh level of Qi Refining, and his Lesser Yin Magic Power became pure and refined, making him an outstanding member of the younger generation of the family.

Just as the Li family felt they could finally catch their breath and begin planning their next trip to the post station for a large-scale transaction and to renew their flying boat's fees.

An unexpected message shattered the brief peace.

On this day, the tribesman responsible for monitoring the distant horizon rushed to report:

"Master! Second Master! A large number of flying ships have appeared on the eastern horizon! At least four or five, heading this way!"