Establishing a Clan in the Eastern Wilderness: A Daily Divination, Cultivating Longevity in a Grotto

The treasure ship continued eastward, venturing deep into the eastern wilderness.

The air seemed different—drier, less spiritual, and carrying a faint, desolate, and wild atmosphere in the wind.

A few days later, Li Changsheng noticed that the several Zhen Shi Si Immortal Masters who had been staying on the sixth floor began to appear frequently on the deck, and their expressions were much more solemn than before.

At dusk, a strange change occurred.

The originally orange-red sunset had inexplicably turned a strange dark purple. The protective aura outside the treasure ship automatically activated, forming a semi-transparent light shield.

"Waaah—waaah—"

A strange sound, like crying or howling, came from all directions, faint yet piercing the eardrums. Outside the light barrier, blurry, distorted shadows began to appear in the air.

"It's an evil spirit!" someone exclaimed in shock.

"evil creature!"

A cold snort exploded like a thunderclap.

At the very top of the treasure ship, a dazzling golden light shot into the sky!

The golden light blazed like the sun, and wherever it passed, the eerie shadows emitted silent shrieks, melting and dissipating as if ice and snow were meeting the sun. The dark purple sky was torn apart, and the sunset returned to its normal orange-red hue.

The whole process took only a dozen or so breaths, but it sent chills down the spines of everyone on the ship, and many children cried loudly in fear.

Li Changsheng took a deep breath to suppress the pounding in his heart.

"This eastern wilderness... is indeed not peaceful."

---

Nearly three more months passed.

During this period, good news kept coming from the Li family:

First came Li's father, Li Shouyi; then came his elderly grandmother, his eight-year-old eleventh sister, Li Muxian's eldest cousin and his wife from the first branch of the family, their two children, his second uncle from the second branch, his third sister from the third branch, his fourth sister from the fourth branch, and his sixth brother from the sixth branch...

Within just three months, twenty-two people successfully guided qi into their bodies!

Within Li Changsheng's sea of ​​consciousness, the Book of Destiny continuously vibrated:

[Family Luck Value +3]

[Family Luck Value +3]

[Family Luck Value +3]...

When the twelfth person succeeds, the total luck value has reached:

[Current Family Luck Value: 85/100]

"We're not far from opening the next page of the celestial book!"

……

On this day, Li Changsheng got up early as usual to meditate, and then began his daily divination.

Yellow light surged, and the celestial book deduced:

Behind the fiefdom, in the mountains, lies an underground river. Qian Fugui has quietly retrieved the Shadowless Spirit-Detecting Insect; finding nothing amiss, he has abandoned his obsession with "Liu Yang's Travels."

Li Changsheng was certain.

The insects were retrieved, and the potential danger was eliminated.

And this underground river... might be a hidden resource point within the fiefdom.

---

Several days later, the Cloud Shuttle Treasure Ship finally began to slow down and descend.

"Qinglan County, the Li family's fiefdom—Qinglan Mountain, we've arrived!"

The immortal master's voice echoed throughout the cabin.

Li Changsheng and his clansmen flocked to the porthole and looked out.

Below, one could see rolling mountains covered in lush, verdant forests.

One of the peaks was particularly eye-catching, about 300 feet high, with a relatively gentle slope and a light mist swirling around its summit.

Centered on Qinglan Mountain, four sizable secular towns are scattered around it, with crisscrossing paths and farmland and houses still faintly visible. This is the territory that the Li family will eventually rule.

The treasure ship landed at a relatively flat open space at the foot of the mountain. Everyone disembarked in turn.

Qian Fugui also came down with a smile:

"Young friend Li, once you arrive in your fiefdom, everything will be difficult at the beginning. Let me add a word of advice: this Eastern Wilderness may seem peaceful, but it is not. Especially during the red marrow rice harvest season each year, there are always roaming bands of thieves who specifically target newly established families like yours."

He looked at Li Changsheng's youthful face and added:

"You must familiarize yourself with and reinforce the mountain-protecting formation as soon as possible. Although the ninth-rank Yun family is your superior family and has a responsibility to protect you, the mountains are high and the roads are long. The calamity cultivators can come and go like the wind. By the time the Yun family's rescue arrives, it will probably be too late. Everything depends on yourselves."

Li Changsheng was deeply grateful and solemnly clasped his hands in thanks: "Thank you for your guidance, Senior Qian. I will remember it forever."

...

...

The treasure ship departed.

Li Changsheng held the bronze jade talisman in his hand, slowly channeling spiritual power into it.

"Buzz—"

The mist that had shrouded the mountain gate began to surge and dissipate rhythmically, revealing a mountain path. A spiritual energy several times denser than that outside rushed towards them; though still thin, it invigorated all the members of the Li family.

"Let's go into the mountains!"

Li Changsheng gave a shout and rode his fully recovered and exceptionally swift flying horse "Xiaobai" around Qinglan Mountain to get a general idea of ​​the situation.

At the mountain peak, there is a first-grade low-level spiritual spring well, about the size of a bowl, that continuously gushes out milky white spiritual energy.

On the sunny slope behind the mountain, there are thirteen acres of simple, leveled fields with light brown soil. Scattered throughout the mountain are some simple stone houses and wooden sheds.

That afternoon, Li Changsheng summoned all the clansmen who had already absorbed Qi into their bodies, as well as the heads of each branch, to a meeting in a well-preserved council hall halfway up the mountain.

The issue is clear: how to divide living quarters and arrange production.

"As the clan leader, you are of noble status and should rightfully build your residence by the Spirit Spring Well on the mountaintop," Chen Wenyuan was the first to speak.

His gaze swept over the members of Li Muxian's eldest branch sitting opposite him—especially his eldest cousin, Li Changming. Chen Wenyuan was perceptive and had already noticed that many members of the eldest branch had begun to cultivate Qi, showing signs of a resurgence in the main lineage. He worried that Li Changsheng's position as clan leader was being challenged. After all, according to the Li family's old tradition, the position of clan leader was usually inherited by the eldest son of the eldest branch.

The eldest cousin, Li Changming, was a kind-hearted middle-aged man. Upon hearing this, he immediately stood up, cupped his hands, and said:

"Wen Yuan is right. The clan leader bears the responsibility for the rise and fall of the clan, so he should reside in the best spiritual place for cultivation and overall command. My eldest branch has no objection and will follow the clan leader's arrangements in everything."

Li Changsheng glanced at his eldest cousin.

The other party's displayed loyalty value is [50/100].

At least he had no intention of being disloyal.

He didn't want to waste time and made the decision directly:

"If that's the case, then follow the old practice."

The eldest, second, and twelfth branches comprise twelve main lineages, each with its own residential area determined by the mountain's terrain. The remaining collateral branches are temporarily settled at the foot of the mountain, establishing temporary dwellings. If a collateral branch member later receives Qi (vital energy) and enters the body, the entire family can move up the mountain, either being assigned to the corresponding main lineage or establishing a new residence.

He paused, then looked towards the back of the mountain:

"Currently, the most important asset of the clan is those thirteen acres of first-grade low-level spirit fields. After everyone has settled down, all Qi Refining clan members need to participate in the cultivation. It is tentatively planned to plant ten acres with red marrow rice and three acres with seven-star grass. Since no one is familiar with the art of spirit plants, it is a good opportunity to explore together and see who has the talent in this area."

Everyone nodded in agreement, with no objections.

After the meeting, Chen Wenyuan volunteered:

"Clan leader, you are very busy. Please leave the construction of the patriarch's mansion to me. I will complete it as soon as possible."

...

...

a few days later.

At the summit of Qinglan Mountain, in the patriarch's mansion.

Though called a mansion, it was actually just a three-courtyard house built against the mountainside, constructed of huge stones and rough timbers. A shallow pond was carved out of the courtyard, fed by mountain spring water, where a few small white-scaled fish caught from the mountain stream swam. A few clumps of hardy bamboo transplanted to the corner served as the only decoration.

Simple, yet sturdy and serene.

Li Changsheng dismissed his attendants and sat alone at his newly made pine desk.

The moonlight outside the window was like water, spilling onto the rough wooden floor.

He took a deep breath and took out the book "Liu Yang's Travelogue" from his pocket.

The pages were yellowed, the edges were badly worn, and the binding was loose.

He opened the cover, and on the title page were the four unrestrained words "Liu Yang's Travels". The content was nothing more than some anecdotes about the cultivator named Liu Yang's travels in his early years: a strange sight, local customs, strange cultivators or monsters he encountered... The writing was plain, even a bit wordy, and it really did look like an ordinary travel journal.

He carefully turned the pages one by one, his fingertips even gathering a barely perceptible wisp of spiritual energy, which he slowly brushed across the paper, trying to sense any possible spiritual energy restrictions or hidden runes.

No.

The paper was ordinary century-old mulberry bark paper, and the ink was common pine soot ink. Apart from the aged smell brought about by its long history, there was nothing unusual about it.

"Blood oath?"

Li Changsheng recalled a scene from a novel in his previous life, bit his fingertip, squeezed out a drop of bright red blood, and dripped it onto the page.

The blood droplet slowly spread, soaking the paper and blurring the ink, but... there was still no reaction.

The book was still the same book, lying quietly on the table.

Li Changsheng frowned slightly, but he wasn't too disappointed.

If Earth-rank inheritances could be discovered so easily, it wouldn't be his turn.

He closed his eyes and concentrated, his consciousness sinking into the sea of ​​knowledge.

The ancient "Book of Destiny" floated in the endless darkness, its golden light flowing slowly within.

"Today's divination result is clear!"

With a thought, the Heavenly Book trembled violently.

【Chaos Primordial Scripture - Qi Refining Chapter (Fragment) - Unsealing Instructions】——

"The Dao originates from chaos, and forms are divided into two polarities. The spiritual platform, within its square inch, is Mount Sumeru. Guided by the spirit, we inquire into the profound mysteries. From the primordial point, true knowledge is revealed."

Li Changsheng's eyes lit up.

Obviously.

This is the method to unlock the "Primordial Chaos Scripture"!

Li Changsheng's hands moved like butterflies flitting among flowers, his ten fingers forming one strange, awkward yet rhythmic hand seal after another, following the instructions recorded in the manual. The meager spiritual energy within his body was mobilized, circulating along several obscure and subtle meridians, emitting a very faint "hissing" sound.

The moment the hand seals were formed into the final "Primordial Seal"—

"Pop!"

A very faint sound, like a bubble bursting in the deep sea, came from the spine of the travelogue.

In the binding gap between pages 73 and 74, where there was originally nothing, a faint golden light suddenly shone!

The golden light was initially only the size of a pinhead, but it quickly expanded and stretched, transforming into a thin, cicada-wing-like sheet of gold foil, no bigger than a fingernail, with jagged edges.

The gold leaf is densely covered with ancient characters and symbols smaller than mosquitoes and flies!

With a "whoosh," the gold foil transformed into a thin golden thread, which went straight into his brow!

A moment later.

The information about the practice flowed through my mind:

【Chaos Primordial Scripture】: Low-grade Earth Rank cultivation technique (first four levels of Qi Refining Stage).

Embracing the concept of the beginning of chaos and the undifferentiated state of all things, its spiritual energy attribute is chaotic and inclusive, capable of slowly evolving and compatible with various attributes, with an unparalleled and solid foundation.

Cultivating this technique during the Qi Refining stage results in a significantly higher total spiritual energy and purity compared to other practitioners of the same level, leading to a substantial increase in the power of spells. During the Foundation Establishment stage, no Foundation Establishment Pills are required, and there is approximately a 20% success rate in establishing one's foundation independently!

"No Foundation Establishment Pills needed, 20% success rate in self-foundation establishment!" Li Changsheng was shocked.

How precious is the Foundation Building Pill?

That is a priceless treasure that countless Qi Refining cultivators dream of but can never attain!

For ordinary cultivators, without the aid of Foundation Establishment Pills, the success rate of establishing their foundation on their own is less than one in a hundred! And this 20% success rate is enough to drive any Qi Refining cultivator crazy!

Not to mention its powerful foundation and combat strength, which far surpass those of its peers.

Just as he was digesting this huge surprise, the "Book of Destiny" in his sea of ​​consciousness underwent another dramatic change!

[A fragment of a low-level Earth-rank cultivation technique has been detected integrated into the family's foundation!]

[Family Luck Value +25!]

[Current family fortune value: 110/100!]

[Family fortune value has reached the activation standard! Do you wish to unlock the second page of the Heavenly Book immediately?]

"Activate!" Li Changsheng said without hesitation.

Boom!

A deafening roar, as if the heavens and earth were being created, echoed in the sea of ​​consciousness.

The second page of the "Book of Destiny" was slowly and solemnly opened amidst endless golden light and profound Daoist rhymes!

This is different from the "Fighting Destiny" on the first page.

What appears on the second page is a complex phantom composed of countless fine, regular geometric lines and three-dimensional runes. These lines and runes are constantly being disassembled and reassembled, evolving into various array transformations such as trapping, illusion, killing, defense, bewilderment, and escape, which are mysterious and unpredictable.

[Array Dao Destiny]: Those who forge this destiny seed are naturally sensitive to array restrictions, possess exceptional talent in comprehending, setting up, and breaking arrays, are meticulous, and are particularly adept at deduction and calculation, making it easy for them to reach a high level in the path of arrays.

Annotations and bonuses also appear next to it:

[Clan Leader Powers Unlocked: A Panoramic View of Clan Resources]

[This feature can be activated by consuming Luck Points or meeting specific conditions, allowing you to view the approximate distribution and nature of discovered resource points within your family territory.]

At the same time, that familiar notification appeared again:

[The second page of the Heavenly Book has been unlocked. You can choose to improve your spiritual root aptitude or talent.]

"Improve your spiritual root aptitude!"

hum!

The power of the origin of heaven and earth, which was purer and more profound than before, seemed to have pierced through the endless void and was guided by the Heavenly Book. It gently and firmly poured into the depths of Li Changsheng's body, washing away, nourishing, and enhancing the innate essence of his ninth-grade spiritual root.

A moment later, the upgrade was complete.

Li Changsheng's thoughts were deeply immersed, and the information on the Heavenly Book's homepage had already been updated:

[Li Family Head: (Unranked)]

[Qi Refining Level 2: (10/100)]

Lifespan: (13/120)

[Ninth-grade spiritual root: (40/100)]

[Destiny and Talents: A Daily Divination]

[Talent in Cultivation Arts: Alchemy (Rank 9)]

[Note: Your family's luck value has exceeded 100, and extra pages of the Heavenly Book have been awarded. The next extra pages require a luck value of 300.]

My spiritual root aptitude has increased from 30% to 40%!

I'm not far from breaking through to the eighth-grade spiritual root!

Li Changsheng slowly opened his eyes, his gaze shining brightly.

He opened his palm, and with a slight thought, a wisp of spiritual energy overflowed from his fingertips. This spiritual energy was no longer a simple pale blue, but rather presented an extremely subtle and imperceptible grayish hue, seemingly containing countless subtle glimmers of various attributes, yet all perfectly integrated, exuding a profound, stable, and unfathomable aura.

"Chaotic spiritual power..."

As he felt the change in the nature of the spiritual energy within his body, and the increased sensitivity to the spiritual energy of heaven and earth brought about by the improvement of his spiritual root, he finally couldn't help but smile.

Simultaneously.

Li Changsheng's thoughts were focused on the Book of Destiny:

Today's divination result: Open!

hum!

The Book of Destiny surged with yellow light, and then lines of text appeared.