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

Yun Jiuniang's figure disappeared at the alley entrance.

Li Changsheng withdrew his gaze and turned back into the courtyard.

Li Shouyi and Li Changle were still sitting on the veranda waiting for him. When he returned, the younger sister couldn't wait to ask, "Brother, what did Miss Yun say?"

"The competition will be held at the Ten Thousand Ghosts Cave." Li Changsheng divided the contents of his treasure pouch into three parts, and then took some of the supplies he had purchased and divided them into three portions as well. "One portion for each of you."

Li Changle took his share, opened it, and his eyes lit up immediately: "A top-grade first-tier talisman! And a protective robe! This is fantastic!"

Li Shouyi pushed the things back: "Chang Sheng, give my share to Chang Le. Her cultivation level is low, and she doesn't have a spirit pet to protect her. The Ten Thousand Ghost Cave is a place teeming with ghosts, and more than a dozen people from aristocratic families have gone in. I'm worried about her."

Before Li Changle could speak, Li Changsheng spoke first.

"Father, keep yours safe. I have other plans for my little sister." He summoned Chi Yu from the spirit beast pouch. Chi Yu was dozing at the bottom of the pouch. After being woken up, she grumbled twice in dissatisfaction, and her feathers perked up.

"Akaba, follow your little sister."

Akabane shook his head like a rattle.

It is a descendant of a first-tier peak Golden-Winged Roc, and you want it to be a little girl's follower?

"Listen to me." Li Changsheng's tone left no room for argument.

Chi Yu instantly wilted, dejectedly hopping onto Li Chang Le's shoulder. It preened its feathers with its beak, looking as if to say, "I've resigned myself to my fate." Li Chang Le chuckled, reaching out to stroke its crest feathers.

"Sweetie, I'll find you something delicious to eat later."

Li Changsheng then looked at his father: "Father, you take the Golden Scale Fish with you; it only recognizes you. Mo Yu will stay with me, and Chi Yu will stay with my little sister. The three of us each possess peak Qi Refining combat power, so as long as we don't encounter any second-tier ghosts, we'll be safe."

Li Shouyi then stopped refusing and put the things away.

"Go back and refine the magical artifacts, familiarize yourself with them. Meet at the east gate at Shenshi (3-5 PM)."

...

...

In the quiet room, Li Changsheng sat cross-legged.

He took out the magic seed he had exchanged with Old Man Jiang and held it in his palm. The magic seed was shaped like a lotus seed, its entire body was green, and it faintly emanated spiritual light, emitting a faint fragrance of herbs and trees.

He had already thoroughly mastered the special sacrificial method mentioned in the divination.

Li Changsheng bit his fingertip and dripped a drop of his essence blood onto the Dharma Seed. The Dharma Seed absorbed the essence blood, and a hint of blood appeared in its verdant light as it trembled slightly. He placed the Dharma Seed in his dantian and slowly poured in spiritual power, guiding it into his body.

The moment the seed of Dharma entered the body, a cool aura spread from the dantian, flowing gently like a stream and spreading throughout the eight extraordinary meridians. Wherever that aura passed, the faint stagnation in the meridians was gradually washed away, and even the circulation of spiritual energy became smoother.

Li Changsheng closed his eyes and looked inward. He saw the seed of magic quietly floating in his dantian. Its verdant light mingled with the spiritual power in his dantian, slowly changing something.

A moment later, the Heavenly Book emitted a familiar vibration.

[Eighth-grade spiritual root: 20/100 → 30/100]

Li Changsheng opened his eyes, a look of joy flashing in them.

This seed can actually improve one's spiritual root aptitude! Although it only improves it by ten percent, improving one's spiritual root aptitude is extremely difficult. Having this seed is like having a shortcut to improve one's aptitude.

He continued examining the celestial book's hints and discovered that the growth of the Dharma Seed required the nourishment of several special spiritual materials—a hundred-year-old Ganoderma lucidum, a thousand-year-old warm jade, and ten-thousand-year-old earth vein spiritual milk. These spiritual materials were too old to be gathered in a short time.

"Take your time."

...

...

In the late afternoon, the sun began to set in the west.

Li Changsheng and his two companions emerged from Wutong Lane and walked along the main street of the county town toward the east gate. The street was teeming with people, mostly cultivators participating in the grand competition and independent cultivators watching the spectacle, gathered in small groups, discussing amongst themselves.

Turning the corner, the East Gate came into view.

Li Changsheng paused in his steps.

He had spent most of his day in Anyang, but had never really looked closely at the city walls. Only now, standing before the city gate, did he truly appreciate the grandeur of the city.

The city wall was hundreds of feet high, constructed entirely of massive, bluish-gray stones, each stone covered with densely packed runes. These runes, layered upon each other, some faded and peeling, others still gleaming with a faint spiritual light, intertwined to form a vast rune array that enveloped the entire city.

"Brother, isn't it amazing?" Li Changle leaned closer, her little face full of pride. "I've heard that this city wall was built to defend against the beast tide. When the beast tide breaks out once every hundred years, even the Qi Refining Families and the Ninth-Rank Families can't withstand it and have to hide in the county city to defend it together."

Li Shouyi listened from the side and sighed: "It has been sixty years since the last beast tide."

Li Changsheng felt a chill run down his spine.

A cycle of sixty years.

The next beast tide is just around the corner.

"If our Li family wants to survive the beast tide, we must take advantage of this time to develop as quickly as possible." Li Shouyi looked at the towering city wall with a solemn expression. "Otherwise, when the next beast tide comes, we won't even have the right to hide in the county town."

There are still thirty or forty years to go.

That's enough!

Li Changsheng's gaze fell upon the high part of the city wall. There, several Foundation Establishment cultivators sat cross-legged atop the city tower, their eyes closed as they regulated their breathing. A faint spiritual light emanated from their bodies, clearly indicating that they were guards stationed there year-round.

The century-long beast tide was too much for even a ninth-rank aristocratic family to withstand.

If the Li family wants to establish itself in the Eastern Wilderness, it must become powerful before that.

"Let's go." He withdrew his gaze and took the lead towards the city gate.

...

...

Inside the city gate was a wide square.

The flags of each participating family had been raised, clearly divided according to county/district. Li Changsheng found the area of ​​Qinglan County and stood still.

Before long, Du Liuniang arrived with two of her clansmen, Du Qiqi. She was dressed in a close-fitting outfit today, with a long sword at her waist, looking heroic and spirited, though there was a hint of fatigue between her brows.

A moment later, the Nangong family also arrived.

Clan Chief Nangong Jin walked at the front, followed by his wife, Madam Shen, and Nangong Shun, whose severed arm had been regenerated. Li Changsheng's gaze swept over Nangong Shun's severed arm, and a thought stirred within him—the arm was completely intact, showing no signs of injury whatsoever. The Nangong family's foundation was indeed extraordinary.

Upon seeing Li Changsheng, Nangong Jin took the initiative to walk over, cupped his hands, and smiled, saying, "Clan Chief Li, we meet again."

Li Changsheng returned the greeting: "Clan Chief Nangong."

"This grand competition among aristocratic families is fraught with danger. It's quite a coincidence that three out of the five families from Qinglan County have made it through," Nangong Jin said warmly. "Once the competition begins, if it's convenient, we might as well join forces. Being from the same county is always better than being an outsider."

Li Changsheng smiled and said, "Clan Chief Nangong's kindness is appreciated. However, the competition rules have not yet been announced, so we'll see how things go later."

Nangong Jin didn't press the matter and nodded, saying, "Alright. Clan Chief Li, please consider it. There's no rush."

He turned and returned to his own camp. Nangong Shun immediately approached and complained telepathically, "Father, why lower yourself to fawn over the Li family? What's so great about befriending a small family at the mid-stage of Qi Refining?"

Nangong Jin ignored him.

Nangong Shun then turned to his mother, Madam Shen, and continued telepathically: "Mother, look at Father's attitude. He's offering his warm welcome, but they don't even appreciate it. If you ask me, once we're in the Ten Thousand Ghosts Cave, we should rely on our own abilities. Why bother with their pretense..."

Shen's eyes flashed with anger, and she rebuked him through her voice: "Shut up! How many times has your father told you that there are always people better than you? The Li family won the championship of Wansui Mountain last time, and you still look down on them like this. I think you haven't grown at all."

Madam Shen's tone was stern: "Your father sent you to participate in the competition to give you a chance to earn merit so you can inherit the position of family head in the future. If you continue to be willful and cause trouble, next time it won't just be your arm that gets broken!"

Nangong Shun's face turned pale and then red, and he lowered his head, not daring to utter another word.

...

...

More and more people gathered in the square.

The Sun and Zhou families of Huaishan County, the Wang and Zheng families of Linjiang County... one family after another arrived. The cultivators from these old families possessed solid auras, with many at the peak of Qi Refining. They gathered in twos and threes, exchanging pleasantries, but their eyes were secretly sizing up the strengths and weaknesses of the other families.

Li Changsheng stood in the Qinglan County area, observing his surroundings discreetly.

Suddenly, he sensed a faint hostility emanating from the crowd. The hostility wasn't intense, but it was like a lingering, cold, and sticky ailment.

He turned his head, his gaze passing over the crowd, and met a pair of sinister eyes.

The head of the Sun family.

The man was about fifty years old, with a thin face, high cheekbones, and slightly narrowed triangular eyes, coldly scrutinizing Li Changsheng. When Li Changsheng looked over, he didn't look away, but instead curled his lips into a half-smile and slowly shifted his gaze.

Li Changsheng remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was on high alert.

Standing beside Patriarch Sun were two other people, both at the peak of Qi Refining, with profound auras. The three of them huddled together, conversing in hushed tones, occasionally glancing towards the Li family.

"Brother, is that kid the Li family's brat?" the Sun family's second elder asked telepathically, his tone contemptuous. "Qi Refinement Level 5? This kind of trash dares to participate in the finals?"

Clan Chief Sun did not answer, but only glanced at the Third Elder.

The Third Elder understood and transmitted his voice, saying, "I've inquired. The Li family has only been established for two years, and the highest cultivation level in the clan is that brat's grandmother. The other two participants are his father, at the fourth level of Qi Refining, and his sister, also at the fourth level of Qi Refining. With such limited resources, I don't know what kind of incredible luck they had to win first place at Wansui Mountain."

"Luck?" the Second Elder sneered. "Once you enter the Ten Thousand Ghosts Cave, there's no such thing as luck for them to step on."

Chief Sun finally spoke, his voice calm: "Our primary goal for this trip is to be among the top five."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd and landing on Li Changsheng, a cold glint in his eyes: "Secondly, if you encounter any members of the Li family, kill them without mercy."

The Second Elder and the Third Elder exchanged a glance and nodded in unison.

"We're waiting to see how Yun Qilang fares," Chief Sun said, turning his gaze away. "Don't let him down."

...

...

In the square, almost all the families had arrived.

Li Changsheng withdrew his gaze, secretly calculating in his mind. The Sun family was the head of the five major Qi-refining families in Huaishan County, with more than three peak Qi-refining experts in the family, and with the Yun family's seven branches as their backers, their strength was formidable. If they were to encounter them in the Ten Thousand Ghosts Cave, a head-on confrontation would definitely not be the best strategy.

However, the Ten Thousand Ghosts Cave has a complex terrain and is teeming with ghosts, so it may not be necessary to confront it head-on.