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

All five families have arrived.

A moment later, three streaks of light swept in from the depths of the county town and landed on the high platform directly in front of the square.

The man in the center, with gray robes and white hair, exuded an aura as deep as the sea—a Foundation Establishment cultivator!

Behind him were two people, a man and a woman, both at the peak of Qi Refining, namely Yun Jiuniang and Yun Qilang.

The moment the Foundation Establishment cultivator appeared, the plaza fell silent; you could hear a pin drop.

"I am Zhou, a steward of the Yun family," the Foundation Establishment cultivator said. His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears. "I will preside over the first round of this aristocratic family competition."

He glanced at everyone present and slowly said:

"The rules are as follows: Wansui Mountain, for hunting evil spirits."

The competition has a one-day time limit. Winners will be ranked based on the grade and quantity of evil spirit crystals they obtain. The top three will advance to the next round.

Upon hearing this, a collective gasp of astonishment filled the square.

Evil!

That is a being even more bizarre than a ghost.

A leaf, a blade of grass, a twig—any of these could be a disguise for an evil spirit. Their attacks are varied and impossible to defend against; for low-level cultivators, encountering them almost always results in death.

The first round of the competition was so dangerous, which was really beyond everyone's expectations.

The Yu family patriarch turned pale, stepped forward, and said in a trembling voice, "Senior Zhou... the Yu family wishes to withdraw from this competition."

The two clansmen behind him were also ashen-faced and nodded repeatedly.

The Foundation Establishment cultivator surnamed Zhou glanced at them and said calmly, "Granted. Anyone else want to withdraw?"

Du Liuniang looked conflicted.

She glanced at the two clansmen behind her—one at the fifth level of Qi Refining, and the other at the fourth level. With such strength, even if they entered Wansui Mountain, they might not come out alive.

Before she could speak, Du Changfeng interrupted from behind, saying, "Clan leader, we cannot retreat!"

Du Liuniang frowned.

"The Yu family has withdrawn, now only four families remain!" Du Changfeng said anxiously. "Four to three, why don't we have a chance? The Cheng family has a peak Qi Refining expert, and the Nangong family has three peak Qi Refining experts. We can't compare to them, but what about the Li family?"

He pointed at Li Changsheng, his voice growing louder:

"The Li family's highest level is only the fifth level of Qi Refining. Why can't they compare? If anyone should be retreating, it should be them! They've offended the Cheng family, yet they still dare to go into the mountains. Isn't that just suicide?"

Du Liuniang's face darkened: "Changfeng, shut up!"

Du Changfeng shut his mouth reluctantly, but his eyes were full of resentment.

On the other side, Cheng Lao Er was also looking nervously at Li Changsheng.

He was afraid the Li family would withdraw from the competition.

The Cheng family was well-prepared, with a guest elder at the peak of Qi Refining in charge. They had already planned that their first task upon entering Wansui Mountain would be to find the three members of the Li family and wipe them out in one fell swoop. Li Changsheng, Li Changle, and Chen Wenyuan were the core fighting force of the Li family. Once they were dead, the Li family would be no threat and would eventually be swallowed up by the Cheng family.

"Consideration time is up." The Foundation Establishment cultivator surnamed Zhou looked around. "No one is backing down. The competition officially begins. One day is the time limit. Now, head up the mountain."

These words were spoken.

Nangong Shun of the Nangong family glanced at the Li and Du families and transmitted his voice to Nangong Jin:

"Brother, the highest cultivation level of the Du and Li families is only at the mid-stage of Qi Refining. They're clueless fools. Once we get up the mountain, why don't I wipe them out? That way, when we seize their fiefdom, we can save some effort."

"No!"

Nangong Jin glared at his younger brother and warned him:

"Don't forget why we were banished to this desolate land! Until we are promoted to a ninth-rank aristocratic family, you must all be careful with your words and actions, and refrain from reckless behavior!"

Nangong Shun nodded dismissively.

...

...

On the way up the mountain.

Du Liuniang quickened her pace, approached Li Changsheng, and whispered, "Clan Chief Li, how about we join forces?"

Li Changsheng looked at her.

Du Liuniang said solemnly, "Evil spirits roam Wansui Mountain. The Nangong family and the Cheng family are powerful. If we fight alone, none of us can make it into the top three. If we join forces, combining the strength of both families, perhaps there is still a glimmer of hope."

Li Changsheng had a hidden first-tier peak ghost general and a first-tier peak Crimson Feather, so they didn't need to join forces. However, the Du family had helped the Li family a lot along the way.

Li Changsheng remained silent for a moment, then nodded.

"it is good."

Du Liuniang breathed a sigh of relief, took out a scroll of animal hide from her bosom, and handed it to Li Changsheng.

"This is the information I've gathered about evil spirits. Take a look."

Li Changsheng took it and flipped through it as he walked.

The booklet details it in great detail—evil spirits are formless and intangible, able to attach themselves to any object. Grass, trees, rocks, even mist can all be disguises of evil spirits. Their methods of attack are incredibly diverse; some corrode the physical body, some erode the soul, and some simply induce hallucinations, causing people to kill each other.

What's most terrifying is that evil spirits have no fixed form, making them difficult to harm with ordinary magical artifacts. Only attacks imbued with spiritual power can truly cause damage.

Du Liuniang's voice rang in his ears: "I suggest we find a safe place to settle down first, ensure our personal safety, and then consider hunting."

Li Changsheng closed the booklet and nodded.

At the same time, a thought flashed through his mind—

"Today's divination result is 'open'."

The celestial book shimmered with yellow light, and the deduced characters slowly emerged:

Wansui Mountain - Dilapidated Temple

At the summit stands a dilapidated temple, long neglected and abandoned. But this temple possesses a special protection: as long as the temple doors are closed, evil spirits cannot enter.

Using this temple as a base ensures safety.

Li Changsheng's eyes lit up.

He looked at Du Liuniang and transmitted his voice, "Let's go up the mountain first, to the top."

Du Liuniang was taken aback: "The mountaintop? If we go up now, it'll be almost dark by the time we get to the top..."

Li Changsheng pointed to the flying horse, "The mount is fast enough."

Du Liuniang hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "Okay."

She took out a palm-sized paper crane from her sleeve, infused it with spiritual energy, and the paper crane grew in the wind, transforming into a crane with a wingspan of over ten feet. This was a mount she had recently acquired by exchanging red marrow rice; although it couldn't compare to the speed of a flying horse, it was still usable.

...

...

Wansui Mountain is steep and shrouded in mist.

The higher they flew, the thicker the fog became, and they could vaguely sense an eerie aura lurking within it. Fortunately, they had flying horses and cranes to take them by, and they reached the summit in less than half an hour.

The mountaintop is flat and sparsely covered with vegetation.

In the distance, a dilapidated temple came into view.

The temple was not large, with a roof covered in blue tiles, mottled walls, and broken doors and windows, clearly having been abandoned for many years. However, the overall framework was well preserved, the roof had not collapsed, and although the doors and windows were broken, they could still be closed.

Li Changsheng was certain.

He landed first in front of the temple, followed closely by the others.

After landing, Du Changfeng looked around and frowned deeply: "This is it? This dilapidated temple is so conspicuous, evil spirits will come here first! If you ask me, we should find a secluded cave to hide in, that would be safer!"

He glanced at Li Changsheng and said sarcastically, "Are some people tired of living? Do they want to find a conspicuous place so the Cheng family can easily find us?"

Du Liuniang glared at him: "Changfeng, shut up!"

But there was also a hint of doubt in her gaze as she looked at Li Changsheng.

Li Changsheng remained silent.

He looked at his brother-in-law. Chen Wenyuan understood, and carrying the ghost-head knife, pushed open the door and entered.

A moment later, he came out, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Clan leader, the temple has been searched. There are no corpses, nor any trace of evil spirits. But outside the temple..."

He pointed to the base of the wall, "There are several scattered skeletons, they look like they've been dead for quite some time."

Li Changsheng nodded, and then spoke to Du Liuniang:

"Chief Du, look—there are no corpses inside the temple, but there are outside. What does this mean?"

Du Liuniang was taken aback, then her eyes lit up.

"This means...this temple has a natural deterrent effect on evil spirits! Evil spirits can't get in, so the temple is safe!"

Li Changsheng nodded slightly.

Du Liuniang looked at him with more admiration: "Clan Chief Li is meticulous, Liuniang is no match for him."