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

Li Changsheng's heart stirred, and he communicated with the Heavenly Book with his mind. The "Family Resource Preview" in the Clan Chief's permissions was activated again.

The outline of Qilin Mountain appeared in my mind's eye. Inside the mountain, more than a dozen points of light were scattered like stars. These points of light were not at the same depth; some were shallowly buried on the surface, while others were deep inside the mountain, but they were all indeed Mingling Stones.

He opened his eyes and shook his head: "It's not a mineral vein. These moth-like stones are scattered in various places. They must have been buried when the ancient temple was built, and over the years, they have been covered by mud and rocks."

Li Changming was somewhat disappointed, but quickly cheered up again: "No matter what, these stones are enough for us to build a temple!"

Li Changsheng nodded and pointed out several directions where there might be moth-like stones, instructing his clansmen to dig separately.

Dozens of Qi Refining cultivators worked together with astonishing efficiency. One by one, the Mingling Stones were dug out of the soil, cleaned, and piled up beside the training ground. The stones varied in size, but were of excellent quality, and due to their long burial, their surfaces had a faint, warm patina, exuding a sense of the passage of time.

Before noon, a simple and solemn main hall of a temple stood atop Qilin Mountain.

The temple is built of moso stone, its bluish-gray walls gleaming softly in the sunlight. At the center of the hall is the statue of the deity, and in front of it is a spacious platform that can accommodate hundreds of people for worship at the same time. The weeds in the temple grounds have been cleared, revealing the ancient array patterns and runes, adding to the mystery and solemnity of this newly built temple.

My grandfather was busy with all sorts of things, directing the clansmen to prepare for the various matters of inviting the statue of the god into the temple.

Li Changsheng called Li Changming aside and whispered a few words of advice to him.

Li Changming nodded repeatedly, turned around and went down the mountain, heading straight for Qilin Town.

...

...

Qilin Town.

The young town mayor was handling official business in the government office when he heard from the bailiff that the master of the house had personally come to visit. He was startled and quickly straightened his clothes to go out and greet him.

Li Changming cut to the chase: "At sunset today, the host family invited the statue of the deity to the temple on Qilin Mountain. You must immediately issue an order to the entire town that all residents prepare sacrificial offerings and go up the mountain to worship."

The town mayor nodded hurriedly, then asked, "Master, what are the specific customs regarding these sacrificial offerings?"

Li Changming waved his hand: "Do as you please. Any grains, fruits, vegetables, flowers and trees that your family produces can be used as offerings. The important thing is sincerity, not the value of the offerings. This statue will protect Qilin Town from evil spirits in the future. As long as you sincerely believe in it, you will receive protection."

The town mayor's eyes lit up.

Evil spirits.

Every year, villagers die at the hands of evil spirits. In less than six months since he took office, he has already reported more than a dozen bizarre deaths. Just last night, another family in Kuishu Village, which is close to Dong Yushan, was brutally murdered. He was worried about how to ask the family for help when, unexpectedly, the family offered him protection.

"Rest assured, Immortal Master!" The young town mayor blushed with excitement. "This humble official will certainly arrange everything perfectly!"

...

...

At the foot of Qilin Mountain, crowds gradually gathered.

The first to arrive were the residents of Qilin Town, bringing their families, young and old. Some carried baskets filled with homegrown fruits; others held earthenware jars containing freshly brewed rice wine; still others led cattle and sheep, and carried chickens and ducks—bringing everything they could.

Qilin Mountain isn't high; it's just a gentle hillside. Almost everyone in the town who could walk came. Children weaved through the crowd, only to be scolded and pulled back by adults, before running off again, laughing and giggling.

Subsequently, people from nearby villages also arrived one after another. The news spread like wildfire, and even villagers from Qingshi Town came to visit, bringing the elderly and children in an endless stream.

By sunset, nearly 10,000 people had gathered at the temple.

The place was bustling with activity, yet orderly. The villagers stood in their respective villages, each holding their own offerings, gazing expectantly at the newly built temple.

...

...

Sunset.

The last rays of the setting sun painted Qilin Mountain a golden-red hue.

My grandfather changed into a brand-new Taoist robe, holding a whisk, and stood on the platform in front of the temple. His hair and beard were all white, and his face was solemn. At this moment, he really looked like a Taoist immortal.

"The auspicious time has arrived!"

Grandfather's voice echoed in the temple.

As the clan leader, Li Changsheng was the first to step forward, burn incense, and offer prayers to the gods of heaven and earth.

"May the ancestors of the Li family be above, and may Heaven and Earth and the gods bear witness. May the descendants of the Li family live long and prosper, and may the entire clan respectfully invite the statue of the deity into the temple, to forever guard the Qilin and protect this region..."

After the prayers were finished, eight members of the Lianqi tribe carried the statue of the deity, covered with a red cloth, and slowly walked into the temple. The statue sat firmly in the center of the main hall, as stable as a mountain.

Li Changsheng entered the hall, lit three incense sticks, bowed respectfully three times, and reached out to remove the red cloth from the statue.

The moment the red cloth fell—

Outside the hall, Grandfather loudly proclaimed, "Bow—!"

Li Changsheng was the first to kneel and bow. Behind him, dozens of Lianqi clan members knelt down in unison. In the ritual hall, nearly ten thousand villagers, holding incense and candles, knelt on the ground in unison, performing three bows and nine kowtows.

Just as the final bow was lowered—

Suddenly, the statue emitted a faint golden light.

The golden light began as a wisp, like the first rays of dawn, but then grew stronger and brighter, surging out from the main hall of the temple, spreading across the platform in front of the hall, and over the entire sacred site, enveloping Qilin Mountain in a dazzling auspiciousness.

Amidst the golden light, the faint sound of chanting arose, distant and ethereal, as if coming from the sky or emerging from the earth.

"The gods have appeared!"

"A god has descended to earth!"

Exclamations of surprise rose and fell throughout the ritual site. The villagers who had previously been skeptical were now completely convinced, and they kowtowed, their foreheads striking the stone slabs with a resounding thud.

The golden light lasted for about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, then gradually subsided and disappeared into the statue.

The surface of the statue, which was originally dark and rough stone, now has a warm luster, as if it has been infused with some kind of inexplicable divinity.

...

...

at the same time.

Dong Yushan.

Deep underground, the olive-shaped evil spirits that had been lurking for countless years suddenly trembled. They sensed a power that instilled their instinctive fear in the direction of Qilin Mountain not far away.

That power was like a blazing sun, scorching their senses.

The evil spirits were restless, twisting and struggling in the darkness, and finally made a choice—they surged out from the ground, in groups, and migrated beyond Dongyu Mountain to more distant places.

Their new territory is within the Cheng family's jurisdiction.

That very night, a bizarre murder occurred in a secular town under the Cheng family's jurisdiction. All seven members of a family died suddenly, their deaths gruesome—each person's head was gouged out, and two tender green olive leaves grew from their eye sockets.

The news reached the Cheng family several days later. The old patriarch Cheng was already overwhelmed with the deaths of Cheng the Second and the offerings, and had no time to care about the lives of ordinary people. He only gave the order to "report to the Zhenshi Division" and then stopped asking about it.

...

...

Qilin Mountain.

Deep underground, at an unknown depth of tens of thousands of feet.

A scarlet eye slowly opened in the boundless darkness.

The eye was enormous, its pupils vertical, like a cleaved abyss. It sensed the faint yet pure divine aura on the ground, blinked, and then slowly closed.

It was as if it had only been disturbed for a moment before sinking back into its eternal slumber.

...

...

The statue was completed.

Within Li Changsheng's sea of ​​consciousness, the Heavenly Book surged wildly, radiating brilliant golden light.

[With the completion of the temple, the Li family received divine protection.]

[Family Luck Value: 5100/6000 → 6500/6000]

[Conditions met. Unlock page nine of the Heavenly Book?]